New traffic signals are being installed at three intersections in Glen Ridge, as part of a state road improvement project. They're not expected to go live until the end of the month. This picture, taken yesterday, is from the intersection of Bloomfield and Ridgewood Aves.
UPDATE: The viewing and funeral service will be held Monday, June 5th, 2006 at St. Mark’s Church, #51 Elm Street, Montclair. Viewing: 10:00 a.m.- 12:00, followed by service. Interment will be at Rosedale Cemetery. There will be a repast following the internment at St. Marks Church.
Deputy Chief Perry Mayers at the Montclair PD informed us of the untimely death of Detective Carlos Wormley yesterday morning, May 30, after a long fight with diabetes. Wormley, who served on the Montclair police force for 16 years, was also a life long resident of Montclair. He was 47 years old.
Detective Wormley became a member of the Montclair Police Department on August 17, 1990 after serving for 13 years as a volunteer member of the Montclair Deputy Police. Detective Wormley was most recently assigned to the Juvenile Aid Bureau. He also served as a firearms instructor for the Police Department and was the recipient of numerous awards for service and valor.
Det. Wormley is survived by his daughters Nyia K. Wormley and Jade Clarice Wormley, two sisters Delma Wormley Lacy and Wanda R. Wormley, his father Milton J. Wormley Sr., and a first cousin, Marion L. Parker. Funeral arrangements are being made at the Martin Funeral Home, on Elm Street, Montclair.
Can the Democratic Party win control of Congress come November? DNC Chairman Howard Dean thinks so, if they campaign hard in all 435 districts with a unified message. And that's just what he'll be discussing in Montclair this Sunday. If you missed out on the recent $2,100 a person cocktail party at the Plofker/Brown residence with Cory Booker, Barack Obama and Bob Menendez, then maybe you'll want to shell out $125 for brunch starring Governor Dean and other democratic heavies. The fundraiser is this Sunday June 4th, 10:30am-12:30pm in Montclair. Besides Governor Dean, the sponsors tell us "it looks likely that US Senator Robert Menendez (back again), NJ State Senator Nia Gill and former Montclair resident Olympia Dukakis" will be in town for the brunch. They are hoping Governor Corzine will show, and you are all invited.
Sunday's fundraiser is hosted by The Women's Leadership Forum of the Democratic National Committee and Nancy & Ronald Berman, Rose & John Cali, Susan DiMarco & Jeh Johnson, Brigitte & Rod Dubitsky, Suzy Kass, Kay LiCausi, Susan MacLaury, Marcia Marley, Lucy O'Brien, Cissy M. Rebich, Amy Rosen & Tim Carden, Amy Schiffer, and Joanne Zippel
Details: Sunday, June 4, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
At the home of Marcia Marley, 139 Union Street, Montclair, NJ
Host Committee: Write/Raise $2000, Guest: $125
For more information or to RSVP:
Emily Berman, WLF National Finance Director, at 202-479-5103 orbermane@dnc.org
Joanne Zippel, Zip Productions & Management, Inc. Montclair, 973-655-1132 or zipprods@aol.com
Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. will host a reception and awards ceremony announcing the winner of the Tenth Annual Congressional Art Contest at 6 p.m. tonight in the new George Segal Gallery at Montclair State. The art competition, open to highschool students in the eigth district, gives them an opportunity to showcase their work in the new gallery. The Congressional Art Contest is part of a nationwide program, and the first place winner's artwork will be displayed in the United States Capitol Building for one year alongside winners from across the country. The runner up's artwork will grace Pascrell’s Paterson office.
Artwork on display has been submitted by Baristaville high school students from Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, and Montclair High Schools, Immaculate Conception High School, and Montclair Kimberly Academy. Other participating schools include Clifton and Nutley High Schools, Livingston High School, Paterson Eastside High School, John F. Kennedy High School, Wayne Valley High School, Passaic Valley and Passaic County Technical High School, Wayne Hills High School, PANTHER Academy, Paterson Catholic High School, Pompton Lakes High School.
Today, Wednesday, May 31, 2006 at 6:00 p.m. Montclair State University, George Segal Gallery. Parking available in the Red Hawk Parking Garage. Level 4 has an entrance directly into the George Segal Gallery
The bells, whistles and gongs are going off at Baristanet as our own Comment-o-meter, keeping count of all our readers' comments, just reached 50,000! justeL was the 50,000th person to "Talk back to the Barista" about this morning's post, Crimes Against Nature:
Same thing happened last year in the new Children's Garden at Verona Park. Plants taken right after they were planted.Posted by: justeL | May 31, 2006 10:28 AM
The unsuspecting justeL eclipsed the honor from regular commenter Walleroo, who logged in at 10:16 a.m. as our 49,999th. This is a milestone for Baristanet, and a testament to our loyal following. Your wild, unbridled and (don't hold back) opinionated comments make this site a cool and fascinating place to be. Some of you may disagree, and yes we do feel the sting sometimes, but we are still happy to hear from you, any day, every @#$%$& day.
While most of us were celebrating the beginning of summer this past weekend, new plants at Anderson Park were ripped out and ripped off by vandals. Scott Kevelson, of Friends of Anderson Park (FAP), who's been keeping us updated on the park's renovation, told us about the recent thefts.
"Over the past two weeks vandals have stolen about 15 bushes from the park. At first they only took bushes by the back of the (new) bathroom. They then moved to the front of the bathroom. I thought that once the lights come on they would be deterred. But over the last two nights (Saturday and Sunday) they started to take bushes by the new entrance at Bellevue Ave. So far in that area 7 bushes have been taken."
The shrubs are gone, and won't be replaced anytime soon, Kevelson said. FAP volunteers continue to pitch in with watering of the 200+ new plants. Their job may get easier once the County installs drip irrigation line for all of the plants by the railroad.
The county told Kevelson they'll be coordinating park security with Montclair Police, who patrol the park regularly. Kevelson is wondering if surveillance cameras are an option.. Meanwhile, if you have any ideas on how to prevent this vandalism, share them here.
Maybe it's time for another name change. Mike M. alerts us to this Christopher Court, located less than nine miles from our own Crisco.
Sitiuated a stone's throw from the Garden State parkway in Irvington at 157 Western Parkway, this Christopher Court is the real deal, says Mike..
"Why settle for the new urban experience when you can have the old one?
Hard to tell from the pic, but they might actually have more green space. Your daily chat starts now...
Glen Ridge is celebrating a bumper crop of Eagle Scouts. Props to the guys who've made it to the pinnacle of scouting. They'll be honored/inducted this Friday.
Alexander Michael Flannery
Alex's project was to have the students in our middle school write letters to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. They wrote letters in support of the troops dedication and to express their appreciation for the risks taken by the troops.Sean Patrick Flannery
Sean's project was to erect a flag pole and provide landscaping for a local school. Now the school can raise the American flag every morning and show pride in our country.
Christopher J. Matthews
Chris' project was to collect food and supplies for our local animal shelter. The shelter is run entirely by volunteers and supported by donations. It is part of our community and is the source of many pet adoptions.Eric Robert Olson
Eric's project was to reassemble book shelves and re-shelve books in our local library after some flood damage had been repaired. The library and many books on the ground floor were damaged by water. His project allowed the library to open the lower floor to the patrons sooner.Jeremy F. Kane
Jeremy's project was to collect reading materials and pre-paid phone cards for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The magazines and books let the troops know what was happening at 'home' and help pass the quiet hours. The phone cards are to help the troops stay in touch with friends and family back home.
Meanwhile, another local group would love to see the next group of Eagle Scouts be a little more inclusive. Members of the Unitarian Church of Montclair, NJ spoke at this rally...
Members of Scouting for All staged an eight-hour protest Wednesday outside the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel as some of the 3,000 people attending the Boy Scouts' national annual meeting began to trickle in."We're a peaceful group, but we're not going to remain silent," said Scouting for All President Scott Cozza. "The Boy Scouts of America will never be the same. They're going to have to deal with this issue."
According to Scouting for All's Web site, more than 40 percent of its members are Eagle Scouts. More than 100 of them have returned their Eagle Scout awards either to the Boy Scouts or Scouting for All, which is holding them in trust until the BSA's policies change, Cozza said.
"I still love scouting," Knapp said. "I still believe it's the best youth program in the world. We need it now more than ever before."
The national spokesman for Boy Scouts of America said Scouting for All is welcome to protest as long as the group allows the service organization to do as it wishes.
"The Boy Scouts accepts their rights of free speech," Gregg Shields said. "We would ask our fellow Americans to respect our right to define our membership."
That right allows the Boy Scouts to exclude gays and atheists, said Shields, adding that the Boy Scouts oath states: "I will do my best to do my duty to God."
"If you want to be a Boy Scout, you must believe in God," Shields said.
Today, Phil Read catches up with Jersey's land hunters, including a few in Montclair. From the Star Ledger...
They are land hunters, on the prowl. Poring over tax maps to eyeball a hot prospect. Getting behind the wheel to scout for the next acquisition. Knocking on doors, hoping to find an owner in the mood to sell.Denis Orloff knows the terrain.
"It's getting harder and harder to find any place to build in this town," said Orloff, who is building two five-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot houses on Montclair's Valley Road. That deal came after he got a tip. He found the seller, quickly, and started talking.
"While I was making a deal and shaking his hand ... his phone was ringing off the hook," Orloff said. "It was unbelievable. I got that one by the skin of my teeth."
The two homes above, set way off Valley Road and forming a little enclave that seems carved out from land situated near another cul-de-sac, Victoria Terrace (off of Park Street) can be seen here on the website of architect Jonathan Perlstein of Oasis Architecture. From a distance, the homes appear way more in keeping with Montclair than what we've seen of late. And opposed to Crisco's "let's pack in as many as we can" strategy, there are just two.
Also mentioned in the article are the folks who built these two homes. The one on Walnut Street is still on the market for $1,695,000.
Montclair's tax assessment poses some taxing questions. A reader writes...
I had some questions about the current Montclair tax assessment and called Appraisal Systems Inc. at (201) 493-7300. Spoke to Janine, who at some point said:"I have to end this call now" and provided less than helpful information. She told me to call the Montclair tax assessor's office for all information (!!!???). I immediately asked to speak to her supervisor, who was called Fran.Fran answered my question about the field Inspectors' training and qualifications as follows: Some of them have an appraiser license. Some of them are in the process of getting one. Some of them are unlicensed.They fill out the record cards and take them back to the office where the licensed appraisers review the data and come up with the appraisal value.
I asked Fran for written guidelines that the field inspectors have to use. Answer: there are none.
I was told the field inspectors measure the outside of the house, count the rooms and grade the condition (on a scale fair-average- excellent).
I was shocked...this compares in medicine to have an unlicensed aide examine a patient, give the written data to a licensed physician and have the doc come up with a diagnosis. It is SCARY. It is even more scary to consider that I will have to pay 100,000 $ or even more over the next five years to the town to live in my own home, depending on what these unlicensed field inspectors write on their record cards.
I called the Montclair Tax Assessor's office and spoke to Joanne. I told her about my concerns and she referred me to ask all these questions at the public meeting on June 15.
Marion Brown, the 100-year-old Glen Ridge resident who started the Animal League of Bloomfield-Glen Ridge, and rescued countless pets over the years, died this morning at Mountainside Hospital home. She was just a few weeks shy of her 101st birthday.
Why save wine tastings for trips to California, when there's a big outdoor wine-tasting event in New Jersey today (Sunday)? At Waterloo Village, from noon to 5, you can taste the wares of 17 Garden State vineyards, listen to live music, and enjoy a decent variety of food, from crabcakes to barbecued pork. We went yesterday and had a delightful time, and although we didn't come home with any bottles, we did bring back a wine glass, which is included in the $18 admission. (You bring it from tent to test to do your tastings.) By the by, In addition to the usual white and red grape varieties, New Jersey wine growers ferment a lot of cranberries, blueberries and raspberries.
We've just learned that grieving mom and anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan will be speaking in Montclair next weekend, and signing copies of her book Not One More Mother's Child. Sheehan's son Casey died in Iraq in April, 2004. The event next Sunday from 2:45 to 5:30 pm, at the First Congregational Church in Montclair, is already sold out.
Yes, we know, it's still too early for anyone over the age of 40 10 to immerse themselves in water. This is New Jersey, after all, not South Carolina. However, the lure of the swimming season, denied to us for eight and a half months, is powerful. We have rejoined an out-of-town pool club this year, and experienced a strong gravitational pull that way around 4 pm on Saturday, and though we could do little more than sit in the shade and read, it was very nice.
Pool? Lake? Country club? Jersey shore? Where's the first water you stick little pinky toes in, did you do it yesterday, how was it? We will get to the fallen soldiers soon, but for now: did you try on summer and how did it feel?
SOUTHPAW, a rock club in Park Slope, Brooklyn, doesn't ordinarily have a velvet rope. But when Kyler Charles made an attempt to rush the entrance on a Saturday afternoon, it could have used one. ''She can't wait to dance,'' said Kyler's mother, Hermian Charles, as she blocked her daughter's jelly-legged run for the door. ''She's a real club kid.''Kyler, 15 months old, wasn't the only one. Baby Loves Disco, a traveling 70's-style dance party for kids out of Philadelphia, drew such a crowd that shortly after the doors opened at 2 p.m. the party's founders, Heather Murphy Monteith and Andrew Hurwitz, had to start a waiting list. ''We're over capacity right now,'' Mr. Hurwitz, 39, explained to a group of parents pushing strollers. They looked crestfallen.
Inside the club the dance floor was packed with toddlers, who squealed, wriggled and wobbled like bobble-head dolls to the disco classic ''Funkytown.''
''We never get to go to clubs anymore, so this is a real treat,'' said a woman in sneakers. She was admonished by her toddler son. ''No talking,'' he commanded. ''Just dancing.''
On this Saturday in Park Slope, William Weiss, 8, dropped to the floor and executed the break-dancing move the Worm. Everyone whistled and clapped.
''I used to be able to do that,'' somebody's father muttered.
So we ask you -- could it fly in Baristaville? Would you go? And who's gonna make it happen...
Some interesting letters in this week's Montclair Times. There's this trippy one about camels. And another about the need for preserving the past with references to the Marlboro Inn.
Here's one that didn't make the paper, and hasn't made it to the Watercooler (it's in that posting purgatory...). So of course, we'll print it here...
Political Rhetoric or Preservation Epiphany? With the 4 Duryea knockdown now heading towards a more positive end, there was also good news to hear about Deputy Mayor Joyce Michaelson's seeming interest, to give real protection to all landmarked Montclair homes that already appear on the state and federal historic registers. With her comments at the last planning board meeting, this was the first time I've heard, where Ms. Michaelson expressed public concern to offer those worthy properties an enforceable, local protective status (see "Decision on Landmarks" - Montclair Times May 11th ). Joyce Michaelson also communicated the same concern about these homes to me personally, during a recent function at the Van Vleck House and Gardens. The million dollar question is, does the deputy mayor really mean what she says?
With our development policies (or lack of) approaching out-of-control status -- such an effort would not only help maintain neighborhood property values long term, but would begin to remove the threat of unwarranted knockdowns and potentially resulting blight. It's a shame that Ms. Michaelson didn't have this same level of awareness earlier, when deciding the Marlboro Inn issue. There, she voted not to affirm the unanimous vote of our Historic Preservation Commission, to protect the Marlboro site. She did so without any coherent explanation why. The result is today's massive sub-division, which we all have to live with.Just before the last council election, Ms. Michaelson was overheard at an event saying that she really didn't give a damm about preservation in Montclair. Accordingly, while in office, both from her perch at the planning board and her position on the township council, she has consistently voted with large development interests on virtually every major land use issue -- in one case, the Orange Parking Deck, with questionable economic results.
(see her development/economic philosophy re: the Wildwood Street open space/asset land sale in the May 11th Montclair Times. This would have only added more kids into the school system ).
Last year, for her council vote to decide a zoning change that extended the commercial boundary east of North Fullerton, Ms. Michaelson voted against Forest Street homeowners, potentially diminishing their property values. Instead, she helped the limited, commercial interests of her former campaign manager - to extend his parking area. At the very least, the deputy mayor should have recused herself, both from this vote and all prior planning board decisions effecting her campaign manager's business. She would not.
In another important land use decision, Ms. Michaelson refused to consider preserving the commercial, c.1900 Farrell building, which was located in-between the showrooms of the Volvo and Jaguar car dealership off Bloomfield Avenue. The Farrell building was ultimately torn down as part of the DCH dealership's expansion.
Despite considerable resident support, the deputy mayor did not take proactive action within the council to save, even the facade of this classic building. More importantly, she did not seek to include the car dealership itself, within an expanded downtown commercial historic district, as proposed by the HPC.
Everyone knows this car dealership looks completely out-of-place downtown. Given their expansion, DCH should have been included within the district. The council could have then used its leverage to negotiate real 'aesthetic' terms for the questionable parking deck deal, built on public-owned land. Ms. Michaelson should have tried to ensure that the huge Orange Street deck -- maybe even the entire dealership itself -- ended up looking more appropriate for Montclair - than the Route 46 panorama, ultimately constructed.
Instead, then councilman Ed Remsen threatened the appointed HPC Commissioners. He told them that if they included the dealership within an expanded district boundary, as almost all had wanted to, the council would not pass it. Remsen's behind-the-scenes explanation: DCH was owned by Asians who were culturally uncomfortable with any kind of official government review.Interesting!
So forgive me for not taking Ms. Michaelson at her word today. However, her track record speaks otherwise. When there's a clear discrepancy between the general comments made by elected officials for press consumption at an open meeting, and their real voting record and actions -- one must question whether it's just concern over the next election, that's instead driving this seemingly political issue 'shift.'
Mayor Ed Remsen, in his recent public statements reported in the press, has also now tried to re-write history. He wants to appear concerned about density, over development, and preservation. Of late, he's been strategically trying to distance himself from the Marlboro sub-division. Mr. Remsen is now blaming the planning board for this total aberration. He however, tried to do the right thing, he now says.
In reality, it was the Mayor himself who was the primary political protagonist, both for Inn's knock-down and for the resulting, over-sized 10 homes. For you newcomers who can't fathom how our township approved this development, Mayor Ed Remsen promoted the Steve Plofker sub-division in the press, even when it was first announced as 12 homes. Overall, from his actions and intentional delays during the HPC/council Marlboro site review, Mr. Remsen was the official player who most directly prevented the township, from obtaining any real development say.
Under local law, the only way for Montclair to have gained legal authority to stop an overly dense sub-division at this site -- whether the Inn stayed or not -- was to vote for historic designation. When councilors Remsen and Michaelson both voted no, these two pols gave-away our development store.
So why the attempted image shift now by these officials, both whom may run against each other in the next mayoral campaign? Given their slate's arguably, ill-conceived development and hands-off land use policies, there is a growing public feeling that "enough is enough." That feeling is now percolating throughout the community. And they know it!
Both are now attempting to appear more "sensitive" to these controversial issues, which ultimately effect everything from taxes to property values.
In view of their voting record, we must now closely monitor the mayor and deputy mayor's statements. Their future press pronouncements must be compared to actual votes and support, when it really counts.
So let's welcome then, Ms. Michaelson's newly stated interest to protect homes on the state and federal historic registers. We should just be diligent, that this is not more pre-campaign rhetoric, but a real epiphany for her, as a reconsidered point-of-view.
The deputy mayor's next set of land use votes - will prove telling.
Martin Schwartz
Baristanet regular Fran Liscio, a punk rocker aficionado from way back, recommends:
The Stay-at-Homes are worth getting out of the house for!Fans of raunch may wish to include a trip to the lower east side's Lakeside Lounge this evening. It is there that they can enjoy a scathingly hilarious send up of the iconic late 70's all-girl rock quintet the Runaways. 'All girl,' you say? Isn't that demeaning? Weren't they women? Well, no actually. The Runaways were a group of 16 year old teenaged girls assembled by Los Angeles rock scene impresario Kim Fowley. Not shy about crass pandering, he dressed them in leather, latex and garter belts (lead singer Cherie Currie got to wear the garter belt get up while she sang 'Cherry Bomb.')
Cut to May 2006—tonight, specifically. Stunningly unexpurgated country music songstress Tammy Faye Starlite will head an all-woman group called the Stay-at-Homes. As the band tells it, "They're not teens, but they're still hot-and though they may be too tired and jaded to run away – they still rock! "Two of the Stay-at-Homes are Hoboken residents, two live in Weehauken, and one in Jersey City – outer, outer, outer Baristaville.
The Stay-at-Homes are: Mony Falcomne as Jackie Fox, Heidi Lieb as Lita Ford, Maria McKenna as Sandy West, Jill Rochmond as Joan Jett, Tammy Faye Starlite as Cherie Currie, and featuring Keith Hartel as Kim Fowley.I recall the interview I did with the original Runaways for teen fan mag 16.They were alternately giggly, sullen and seemed a little bit numb and exhausted. A middle aged A and R guy in a black satin baseball jacket sporting an aluminum briefcase strolled by and offered them "nose candy" when the interview was over. Does it get any better—or worse—than that?
I'm driving in to the show tonight at around 9. Email me at franliscio@aol.com and I'll give you a ride door to door both ways. I've seen Tammy live and it's worth it. You're going to have to trust me on this one—there's NO ONE ELSE on the face of this earth who brings the same kind of glittery, aux-deep-south sparkle to raunch the way she does.
The Lakeside Lounge (162 Ave. B between 10th and 11th streets) Friday, May 26th, 11 pm, FREE.
In case you didn't know, the Lakeside Lounge is the coolest place around, with a jukebox par excellence assembled by Jim Marshall—radio's record hound and one of the owners. (if I'm correct, the other two
owners are Eric Ambel, Steve Earle's guitarist, Yayhoo bandmember, producer extraordinaire, and Steve Earle Hisself!) -- Frances Liscio
You may have noticed when driving on Valley Road this week, that the island at Edgemont Memorial Park is getting a nice new look, just in time for the Memorial Day Service. The massive overgrown shrubs at the base of the monument are gone, revealing a famous bronze sculpture "The Billboys" by Charles Keck. When we walked over to inspect, we met up with the work crew and Superintendent of Parks, Kevin Ward. Ward is a wealth of information and he gave us the low-down. "The old green light cages are gone, new high wattage lights have been installed to illuminate the monument from all sides. We're trying to reestablish the memorial garden to its original 1924 scale - we've restored three raised formal beds in the original shape, put in about 30 small perennial and flowering shrubs - varieties that will remain three to four feet high, eliminating the overgrowth problem we just tackled," Ward said..."and it's long overdue."
And beginning Memorial Day, you'll be able to walk on the island and see the improvements up close. Gates that have been chained shut on and off for years due to vandalism and safety issues will be open daily.
The primary monument is an obelisk with a Winged Victory on top - it commemorates the soldiers from Montclair who died in World War I and II. There is a second monument in front of the statue, for the Montclair soldiers who died in the Korean War. Until this week, it was completely obscured . The town parks department has been working all week to make the island safer, user friendly, and beautiful. "There's a lot of pride going into this project. It's not a subcontracted job - it's all been done by town personnel. It's going to look pretty spectacular when it's done. " he added.
Glen Ridge Memorial Day Parade
The Glen Ridge Memorial Day Parade begins Monday, May 29, 2006 at 11:00am.
The parade starts at Sherman & Baldwin and proceeds down Ridgewood Avenue to the Ridgewood Avenue School.A Service of Remembrance begins at 11:30am in front of the Ridgewood Avenue School.
The community picnic will follow at Hurrell Field located on Bloomfield Avenue.
Bloomfield Memorial Day Events
8:30 am Fireman's Memorial Service, Village Green
9:30 am Memorial Day Parade begins on Broad Street at Brookside Park, ending at Broad and Liberty Streets. Grandstand seating set up at the Village Green, Broad and Liberty.
Memorial Day Service at the Unitarian Church of Montclair is on Sunday, May 28th 10AM-11AM, will include the presentations of two Vets. Mark Anthony will present his reflections on the Iraq War, and Jose Vasquez, President of the NYC Chapter of the Iraq Veterans Against the War, will present a talk with slides: "Walkin' to New Orleans - The Veterans' and Survivors' March." The service will be child friendly and include a memorial to fallen soldiers past and present.
Also on display will be AFSC's "Eyes Wide Open - New Jersey" exhibit. This display honors the 43 New Jersey residents who have lost their lives in Iraq. For more information about the exhibit, click here. 67 Church Street, Montclair.
Saturday May 27
Presby Garden Party: Another great reason to visit the bloomin' irises - Rebecca Frezza and Big Truck Unplugged will perform an acoustic concert at 1 pm. Over 1,000 Montclair students entered a Presby sponsored art competition - paintings and drawings on exhibit, 10 am - 4pm. Refreshments available throughout the day. Don't forget your camera, or paint brushes. Free. 474 Upper Mountain Avenue. Montclair 973-783-5974.
Day Tripper: Waterloo Village Blues & Wine Festival - Enjoy a great day out for the whole family. 17 NJ wineries, The Black Widow Blues Band, BC and The Blues Crew, food, crafts, kid activities,& tours of historic Waterloo Village. Stanhope, NJ (exit 25 off I-80). 609-588-0085 or go to NJ Wines.com.
Across the River: Studio in the Park, Riverside Park, West 72nd to West 145th Streets through September 16.
This outdoor exhibition features 11 site specific works by contemporary artists: Orly Genger, Robert Greenberg, Elana Herzog, McKendree Key, Mischa Kuball, Emil Lukas, Fabian Marcaccio, Alexis Rockman, Kenny Scharf, Gary Simmons, and Steed Taylor. Two works will fill tunnels; 8,000bright orange balls float on the water, and another sculpture sits on the grates covering the railroad tracks. The project is curated by Karin Bravin of BravinLee Programs, and is presented by the Riverside Park Fund in celebration of its 20th anniversary.
Allen (pictured above with showhouse owner and radio personalty Patty "Steele" Kushner) spent more time giving the crowd his quick and dirty lesson on wine appreciation than talking about his book. His last great meal in NYC? Tom Colicchio's Craft Steak. On wine and food pairings, Allen likes Alsatian Rieslings or Gewurtztraminer with spicy Asian; Chardonnay & sushi; and Sauvignon Blanc with lemony chicken. But he shocked the crowd with his fave: Cristal Champagne with Popeye's Chicken. Recommending Pinot Noir as a great drop, he added "but I liked Pinot Noir before Sideways, and although Merlot got a bad rap, it's also delicious with tomato sauces. Don't be mean to Merlot." Cab Franc is fabulous with lamb, he gushed, and the grape is "criminally under rated."
He also opened up for questions. Ted Allen factoids we learned: He's a huge devotee of Martha Stewart: "Martha is the gold standard of TV cooking." He is the quiet one on the set, and asked if he was sure his castmates were gay, he replied "I'm as sure as I want to be."
Allen captivated the audience, and only once had to calm them down with "Shhh, drunk ladies!" The JLNM Showhouse and Gardens is open though May 29. Their next, and last bash is a Cuban themed party, featuring live music, salsa, world beat, mojitos (with alcohol!), tapas and a pig roast, on Saturday, June 3. Reservations and information here.
Aaron Miller, our new Baristanet summer intern, captures last night's action as 95 cyclists from here and abroad rode 30 one mile laps for honors in Montclair’s first Giro New Jersey. That’s the nice part of our story. The race, which began at the height of rush hour, not only closed four Upper Montclair streets along the course, but many more for at least eight hours. We’re guessing that several hundred -- if not thousands -- of boiling mad Baristaville residents and commuters were caught in the monumental gridlock as they navigated their way home around closed and congested streets. We’ve been hearing angry complaints from folks about their kids’ delayed buses, simple ten minutes trips turning into 40 minute ordeals, and congestion beginning at the Garden State Parkway. Compounding the problem was the Amtrak power outage that canceled afternoon and evening trains and left hundreds of riders turning to Decamp for a bus ride home. Landscaping trucks and parked cars made the side streets almost impassable, repaving work closed the southern entrance of Brookdale Park, and PSE & G started digging at Bellevue and Grove right in the middle of it all.
The lack of planning for Giro NJ in Montclair is what has most people royally pissed off, and may create a severe backlash for future biking events in the town. This reader summed it up.
I'd really like to know how the town was able to close the roads to residents without any notification! Yesterday signs for No Parking between 2pm and 10pm where posted on Lorraine Ave, but there was no notification that the road would be closed to residents! I live on Lorraine and had to park on Inwood and walk home from the gym. Btw, it took 40 minutes for me to get through traffic and find accessible roads to get from Watchung Plaza to Inwood! The planning for this event was severely lacking. I sincerely hope other residents complain to the town about this because it's outrageous. People are just coming out of rush hour to gridlock in their own towns. Furthermore I'm disgusted to read that parents were left wondering where their child's buses were because of this lack of notification about major roads—roads which include school bus routes—being closed! I sincerely hope other residents complain to the town about this and I think someone needs to find out what company/organization paid how much money for this bike event to get priority of the roads over the tax payers of this town.And it was no better for bus riders. A tipsters writes: “Our driver was furious. Apparantly the detour route they were given was closed by the police. There was no way our bus could get to Bellevue Plaza, so most people got off before the driver took a side street off Valley.”
So what went so terribly wrong? We received a copy of an email Town Manager Joe Hartnett sent to an outraged resident. But it fails to address yesterday's mess.
"The sponsors of the bike race were two local non-profit groups -- Bike Montclair and the Montclair Economic Development Corporation. It was supported as well by the Upper Montclair Business Association and by Essex County, which offically provided consent to the organizers to Valley Road (a county road) being partially closed. All proper permits and insurance coverages were also obtained. The organizers paid all costs, including the hiring of the off-duty Police Officers who worked the event. All involved thought they were doing a good thing to promote the community and to have an event that the people of Montclair would enjoy. We will certainly debrief this event thoroughly starting tomorrow and if it turned out to be a negative, it will not be repeated."
Baristanet tipsters report crowds for the races were thin and only several dozen folks turned up for the post-race band performance, free Redken Bag giveaway and fireworks display. (Although there were large crowds at Tinga’s and Cold Stone.) Clearly, there are pros and cons for hosting this event again. So, we’re asking you, should we go through this again next year?
After yesterday's nightmare commute, you're probably wondering...All trains are back to the regular schedule this morning. Yesterday's commuting disaster was attributed to an Amtrak power outage at a Philadelphia substation which crippled the Northeast corridor. Some commuters were trapped for up to five hours underground. Read about it here, if you can stand it.
Leena writes to Baristanet that this adorable cat wandered its way under her deck, and into her heart. But this fabulous feline must have a home, and someone must be missing her!
A kitty was found near Grove and Watchung (actually she found us!). She had found shelter from the recent cold evenings under our deck. She was cold, tired and starving. She is a petite brown, gold and black tabby. I would guess about six months old. She has a collar without a name. Her frail bony appearance leads me to believe that she has been missing for quite some time. I believe she belongs to some wonderful family who is desperately searching for her. She is amazingly calm and friendly. As you can see, she is resting peacefully in our home, waiting to be returned to her family. If you are her owners, please contact me at Leena104@aol.com.
A reader has just called to advise that at Penn Station, many Mid Town Direct trains are canceled. This update from NJ Transit:
Due to this morning’s power outage, we will need to operate a modified service this evening. All MidTOWN Direct service on the Morris & Essex lines and Montclair lines will operate to and from Hoboken throughout the evening. MidTOWN Direct service to and from Penn Station New York will resume tomorrow morning. PATH and NJT Bus will cross honor NJT Rail tickets/passes.
Hang in there, commuters!
