July 4 Rescheduled for One Month Later

Doing whatever it takes to sell a house also includes getting your hands dirty. From the New York Times...

Cristina Ryan and her husband, Paul, who are working to sell his ailing father’s four-bedroom colonial in Montclair, N.J., are hoping that attention to landscaping will pay off.

The couple knew that the house’s renovated kitchen and bathroom, new moldings and refurbished hardwood floors would turn a few buyers’ heads, but they understood, too, that unless the outside looked inviting, some of those buyers might never venture inside. So, in the weeks before the house was listed earlier this month at $532,500, they had the front yard cleaned and weeded and all the overgrown or dying shrubbery replaced with $700 worth of new bushes, flowers and ornamental grasses. The exterior was also power-washed and painted.

If you want to see what $700 worth of greenery looks like, drive by 157 Alexander Ave. The home is being marketed by Roberta Baldwin, who also talks about staging homes for sale...

Continue reading "Hothouse Tricks For A Cool Market" »

Dog Mom writes in to announce that the Essex County Dog Park in South Mountain Reservation opened today at noon.

I was tipped off by an acquaintance in South Orange and drove by for a look-see. A tent and a podium was set up, presumably for the opening ceremonies. The workers there said that it was opening officially today. It's really gorgeous.

But will it meet the dogs' approval? Bark here with your review.

Montclair-based Suracell sells a $140 DNA test promising to unlock your body's DNA secrets as to how well you're aging. Then there are DNA repair kits if your personal DNA profile is found, um, lacking.

Exciting as it may sound, the federal government says home DNA aging tests like the ones Suracell sells are modern-day snake oil.

While genetic science has great potential, "This industry represents a fraudulent mutation of that promise," says Gordon Smith, R-Ore., chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging. Smith, who called for the study, said consumers should visit their doctors for tests if they are concerned about particular diseases.

Suracell of Valley Road is led by world-renowned anti-aging doctor, Dr. Vincent Giampapa, "one of the first Certified Anti-Aging Medical Physicians in the world." Dr. Giampapa is also founder of the Giampapa Institute which holds the noble goal of "offering the most comprehensive plan for anti-aging therapies...we recognize that aging is not a simple chronological event, but a complex of specific dysfunction of the body."

Not surprisingly, reports on the GAO's thumbs down are not on the company's news page.

Stay in the kitchen. Or whatever's air conditioned. The National Weather Service predicts that Essex County will be among the places residing in a special circle of hell starting tomorrow.

Continue reading "If You Can't Stand the Heat..." »

Chat about them. Though we hate to direct you to another website, it's worth noting that Montclair TV personality Steve Adubato will be doing a live internet chat today at noon on everybody's favorite subject (besides the weather): property taxes.

Topping the topic list is the thorny issue of Home Rule -- and the fact that the state has 566 municipalities and 618 school districts, which makes for lots of duplicative services. How we love our local school districts, and our quaint small-town parades -- and how we hate paying for it all! However, a poll earlier this month, reported in the Asbury Park Press, does suggest that Home Rule may no longer be untouchable.

Well, let's pose the question up close and personal:

Things have been getting interesting with the Ed Remsen - Ted Mattox feud, although we're worried that council meetings might get even messier if Remsen makes good on his "puking" threat. And Ted, we're assuming that phone number thing is true for media calls, yes? We tried to get through, but Phil Read must be talking your ear off.

Will these guys continue to work together without coming to fisticuffs? Will Montclair's residents resort to making their own wayfinding signs. Stay tuned...

Reports of animals emerging from the primordial depths of the Jersey Shore (and with us still suffering from Microburst 2006), it seems nature is pretty annoyed these days.
">"It was the biggest thing I ever saw come out of the ocean," said rescuer, Bob Beckett in regards to one of the two (count’em, two, they’re hard to miss) whales breaching our boundaries." A little less obvious were the scores of hooded seals washing up and down the east coast. One of whom was suffering from sunburn. So pack that new fancy SPF 400 stuff from France if you have any seals in your family tree.

The center is also caring for a hooded seal, which became stranded with severe sunburn on Long Beach Island last weekend. In fact, other hooded seals have been appearing on beaches up and down the east coast, but experts said they belong in much colder waters.
"They're Arctic by nature and shouldn't be down here, but we have no clue why they are," Schoelkopf said.

Next year, maybe they can be #1 on the list of the Taxation Traumatized.

A tipster tells us that folks in Glen Ridge are without power this morning. After getting past the recorded message (which stated trouble in the Montclair area), the tipster connected with a live voice at PSE & G, and learned that folks on Cambridge and Carteret in Glen Ridge have called in with outages.

The Times reported the death of Montclair's own Josephine Baker, Dorothea Church

Haven’t you noticed all those limberous types in their modish, slit-up-the calf pants with the lotus blossoms embroidered on the butt? So what if they can put their feet behind their heads? According to Abby Ellin writing for the NYTimes, unless those yogis and yoginis are also sporting their own personal yoga mat (ideally stashed in a hand-woven, hyper-organic yoga bag) those flexi-feet could well be diseased.

Most people know to wear flip-flops in the shower and locker rooms but they don’t think about it on a yoga mat,” said Noreen Oswell, the chairwoman of podiatric surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. In the last two years, Dr. Oswell said there has been an uptick of fungal infections among her patients who use mats that aren’t properly cleaned.

Pella windows and graffiti?
Bad spelling corrected? (Not that the Bad Barista has a leg to stand on when it comes to such things...at least someone corrected it.) And one word is much easier to put in the right order than a full sentence.)
Poor penmanship?
You be the judge.

but a sweet and cold one. Here's the line at Coldstone, the font of expensive deliciousity and sticky sweetness for Upper Montclair.

Seen around Montclair, within two blocks of each other, lawn signs are making a statement. A tipster asks -- is this the new form of communication?

But what does he call it? EmpireZone tries to figure out just what Tom Kean (that guy who wants to be one of our leaders or something) thinks "social security" and "privatization" really mean.

More news from Montclair's Town Council meeting: Council members signed off on Town Manager, Joe Hartnett's new employment contract. Looks like township officials ditched the controversial add-ons of Hartnett's old contract, rebundling it into a new package with a nice increase. Mayor Remsen said: "No sweeteners. There's no bonus ... no other frills. No traveling ... No vehicle. No comp time. We still think we're getting a lot of value." The Star Ledger has the details:

Now, there's no mention of a housing allowance, and the $400 vehicle stipend remains, with Hartnett due to pull in a paycheck of $145,000 in the first year of a new three-year contract now being finalized.

Continue reading "Nice Package, Mr. Hartnett" »

Baristavillle Chocolate Advisory: The Chocolate Path has extended hours today and will stay open tonight until 9:00pm. And here's a happy hour perk: after 6:00pm, you get a complimentary glass of wine while you shop. (Personally, I love red wine and chocolate...think of the health benefits.) There are only two days left to stock up on their dark chocolate before they close for the month of August. After Saturday they'll be closed until Wednesday, September 6th. 26 Lackawanna Plaza, Montclair. 973-655-0822. Chocolate lovers, share recommendations of your favorite flavors...

Can we stand to be out in this heat and humidity? You betcha, if there are treasures to be found in other people's yards. Sellers, setting up fans and lemonade stands might be a good enticement to get customers to hang around...List your garage sale specifics here, so we can all find you this weekend...

...but we're not sure who. Montclair Town Council members (well, 6 out of 7) think we need new signage to help people find their way through the streets of Montclair. They've just authorized the hiring of Philadelphia consultants, Cloud Gehshan Associates, to help the town figure things out. The study will take up to eight months costing an estimated $120,000 according to township attorney Alan Tremblak. When the project gets rolling, Montclair Economic Development Corp. will oversee. It could cost $500,000, or maybe $750,000, to improve the streetscape with signs pointing to parking lots, the library, and the museum, among other things. (Wait, aren't those brown MAM signs doing their job?) At Tuesday night's council meeting, Councilman Ted Mattox, the only vote against, sounded like the conscience of fiscal responsibility. From The Montclair Times:

“I cannot support this type of spending of taxpayer money in a town that has other needs,” Mattox said. “We need more fire trucks … curbs, tennis courts, public pools that don’t have enough umbrellas or chairs … Protecting residents is more important than finding the public library.”

(Raise your hand if you don't know where the library is...)

Continue reading "Someone's Lost..." »

Friday July 28

FAMILY OPERA: This afternoon, see "Animal Tales" at the Alexander Kassler Theatre, at MSU. Featuring book and lyrics by George Plimpton, music by Kitty Brazelton. Free, 2:45 pm. Call to reserve a spot: 212-431-7039, or email erin@familyoperainitiative.org.

PASSAIC VALLEY SUMMER THEATRE 10th Anniversary Production: URINETOWN
Don’t let the title fool you; “Urinetown” is not a show about toilet humor. It's the hit musical comedy by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis that takes a somewhat unpleasant premise, and turns in completely upside down, producing a witty and entertaining evening of contemporary musical theater. Performed by high school students in and around Baristaville. Director: Darren Gage, Music Driector: James Millar, Producer: Jeff Budd. Sponsored by The Passaic Valley Education Foundation/Glen Ridge Municipal Alliance. July 27th and 28th @7:30 p.m., July 29th @ 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Adults $12.00 Student & Seniors $10.00 Passaic Valley High School Auditorium
East Main Street, Little Falls. For more info click here.

LATIN JAZZ IN BROOKDALE PARK, featuring Dave Valentin, 7:30 pm. Free. Bring lawn chair or blanket.

KEATON DOUGLAS SINGS: The Montclair vocalist will perform with the Outlaw Quartet at Trumpets Jazz Club, 6 Depot Square, Montclair. $15 cover charge. 973-744-2600.

JERSEY VOICES ONE-ACT FESTIVAL presents 6 short plays written by NJ playwrights. Baristaville actor Kyle SanGiovanni appears in "Coffee With God" by Karl Wagenheim. Eric Alter's piece "Ties" is presented also. Friday and Saturday nights, at 8 pm. There are also performances on August 4 & 5. At the Chatham Playhouse, tickets $15/$10 youth & seniors. 973-635-7367 ot click here for more info on each of the plays: who's in it, who wrote it, what it's about.

Continue reading "Thrill Seekers" »

Sure, Baristaville has it’s share of Big Time actors, TV producers, and directors. But we’ll bet a cream pie that none of them has ever had as much fun as a group of Montclair kids featured in this Pie Throwing video, now playing on YouTube, the hot clip sharing website. “First graders in Montclair, NJ in a creamy bacchanale”, reads the film maker’s description of the action, which was shot on June 22 and viewed more than 500 times since being posted. And if you haven’t had enough already of Microburst 2006, you can always relive the aftermath in this video featuring the damage at Brookdale Park.

Continue reading "More Fun Than A Three Stooges Movie" »

Six entities were in the race to acquire Mountainside Hospital, and a Kentucky based for-profit hospital corporation, Merit Health Systems, made it to the finish line. Officials from Atlantic Health System, Mountainside's owners, made the announcement yesterday. From the Star Ledger:

The Atlantic board voted overwhelmingly Wednesday night to have Merit take over. One of Atlantic's stipulations, however, was that Merit continue operating Mountainside as an acute-care hospital.

It will be about four to six months before the deal with Merit is final, however. Regulatory authorities, including the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, also must favor transfer of ownership.

If approved, the 347-bed facility would become the second investor- owned acute-care hospital in New Jersey. Memorial Hospital of Salem County is the other. Ron Czajkow ski, spokesman for the New Jersey Hospital Association, said benefits to Mountainside could include an infusion of capital to boost the bottom line, upgrade the facility and expand programs.

Continue reading "Kentucky Firm Wins Mountainside Derby" »

Two fun family freebie films tonight, and they count as an outdoor activity:
MADAGASCAR is showing on the lawn of the Bellevue Ave. branch library, Montclair. 8:30 p.m. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. They are serving popcorn...

KING KONG (2005) starring Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black, and Andy Serkis is showing at Nishuane Park on Orange Road. Bring lawn chairs or blankets, and your own popcorn...

Mr. Leroy Brown lived in Montclair while employed as financial manager for the Salvation Army in Newark. His idea of managing the organization's money was to rip them off over a period of seven years, taking funds designated to help pay rent for AIDS patients and the poor. He cut approximately 585 rental assistance checks made out to phony names, and had friend Susan Bigelow cash them. Brown lives in North Carolina now, but returned for a hearing in federal court yesterday. From The Star Ledger:

Standing before U.S. District Judge Joseph Greenaway, Brown pleaded guilty to conspiring to embezzle and to tax evasion.

Brown acknowledged to the judge that he faces a hefty restitution order, but whether he can pay it is another issue. The prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Harsch, said investigators didn't recover wads of money or other evidence that Brown was living lavishly off the scheme. He said Brown was basically "living hand to mouth."

Continue reading "I'll Take The Used Sofa And $385,760 Please" »

Like us, the folks at Stanton Realtors really like old homes, so much so in fact, they've got a neat little gallery of homes that appeared in the Montclair Times in 1922, the same year Stanton was founded. Click through to the jump to see more homes, maybe even your own.

Meanwhile, if you really like old homes, the mother of Montclair homes, or grandmother if you prefer, is up for sale. It's actually two for the price of one, with history to spare, right here.

Note: developers not welcome.

Continue reading "Is This Your Old House?" »

Get over to Whole Foods 4:30-6:30 pm today to sample food and products made exclusively in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Vendors will include New York Ravioli, Gorilla Coffee, Applegate Farms Bacon & Pepperoni, Caio Bella Gelato, Sweet Stuff Sweet Potato Cake, Joe’s Tea (made right here in Montclair!), Fizzy Lizzy, Rick’s Picks, and John Masters Organic Hair Care Products. The produce department will be sampling some of the best Jersey Corn and Tomatoes around. Trainers from Powerhouse Gym in Bloomfield will also be in the store to help you work out right. For the kids, Lauren Mattia, creator of the Club Claude DVD will be giving out stickers and coloring books.

Baristaville's summer swim season was short, but the wait at Tuesday's Suburban Essex Swim League Championship meet was agonizingly long as the score was tallied. In the end, Montclair Beach Club's Team Catfish won top honors, beating out their arch rivals, Bradford Bath and Tennis Club.

Congratulations to all the kids who practiced hard all summer and swam their hearts out at the championship.

Continue reading " Dog Days Of Summer Good For Catfish" »

This tip was received last week by an anonymous, but trustworthy, information donor. The police can't verify any of it; they think the matter may have been handled "internally."

Imagine the innocent buyer (though it's hard to imagine anyone innocent enough to see Crisco as anything but a sore thumb) accosted by the future neighbors.

but the scene last Sunday at Christopher Court, where those monster mansions are going up to replace the Marlboro Inn, was truly bizarre. The street is coned off, and security guards are at either end keeping people out. Apparently there's been some vandalism there, graffiti and I'm not sure what else. Also, some locals -- middle-aged baby boomer professionals -- were hanging out advising people not to buy the houses at the prices listed. One of them was threatened with arrest!! They were speculating that the houses would never sell (given the price, lack of yards, softened market) and eventually be divided up as multi-family units, becoming a little ghetto, of sorts.

At Montclair's pre-meeting council session Tuesday night, Deputy Mayor Gerald Tobin demanded an apology from Councilor Ted Mattox for publicly accusing his colleagues of a "cycle of corruption". Mattox is PO'd about the way Montclair Ecomonic Development Corporation has awarded contracts to nonprofits. Sparks continued to fly, as they argued over the definition of the word corruption. From The Star Ledger:

...an apology wasn't forth coming. "I'm not going to retract that statement," Mattox said Tuesday night at a council pre- meeting session punctuated with a debate over the definition of the word corruption.
"Not doing things by the letter of the law," Mattox said. "Corruption means the erosion of protocol."
Tobin shot back: "You have your own definitions. It means taking money illegally."

Continue reading "Heating Up Inside Council Chambers" »

Tomorrow night, Thursday, July 27th there’s rock n’ jock softball at Yogi Berra Stadium. The guys and gals from WPLJ 95.5 FM and ABC News Channel 7 will face off at again at the third annual charity softball game to benefit the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, New Jersey Chapter. Baristaville's Todd Pettengill, Patty Steele, and Race Taylor will join 'PLJ's Scott, Brad, Monk, and Harry to challenge the Channel 7 morning team led by Bill Evans, Steve Bartelstein, & Joe Nolan. Recording artist Gavin Degraw will sing the national anthem!

For tickets ( $8 adults/$5 kids) call the New Jersey Jackals box office at 973-655-8025 or click here.

It's daily chat time, that magical time of the day when anything you say, no matter how off topic, is perfectly kosher. I'll start with something that's fallling down way, way out of Baristaville, and it's not a tree...

Continue reading "No Way To Treat Harry?" »

More on the Montclair tree madness from CNNMoney.com, "What I Learned When My Tree Fell Down," care of EcoRealty.

Want to know what the author learned, Cliff Notes version? Insurance policies suck, as do major storms (see photo caption: "A CNNMoney.com writer had two cars destroyed by two different trees that fell during a storm in Montclair, N.J. this week.")

Look for Mayor Remsen to go on a speaking tour "Microbursts and What We Have Learned From Them" this fall.

Sure, we're famous for having a governor who is also a "gay American," yet it's taken the New York Blade this long to herald New Jersey's conspicuously gay advantages...

Steven Goldstein is the well-known founding chair of Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s LGBT rights organization. He is also a New York City native — Brooklyn born, raised in Queens, Manhattan educated, and spent most of his adult life in the city.

But when New Jersey passed the domestic partnership law in 2004, that was all it took. He and his partner traded up their Brooklyn Heights apartment for a Teaneck, N.J., home.

“I have grown up being as much of a New York City chauvinist as anyone else, and I can tell you that we could not be happier living in New Jersey,” said Goldstein, whose partner still commutes to lower Manhattan for work.

He named Jersey City, Maplewood, South Orange, Morristown and Plainfield City as several communities among many that may interest New York commuters. Collingswood, N.J., was also recently listed in a book called “50 Fabulous Gay-friendly Places to Live” by Gregory A. Kompes.

Yet another list Montclair didn't make. Damn Maplewood! Mocking us with your resort-quality pool wasn't bad enough? Now you're enticing all those home-improving, restaurant-opening, property-value-raising gay couples away from us. Could it be that the aesthetically-challenged Crisco is doing more damage than we think? Hmmm...

Blame global warming for the microburst says Sports Illustrated writer and Montclair resident Peter King. And go see "Inconvenient Truth" already. From SI.com

In my town, Montclair, N.J., we had a once-in-a-generation wind, hail and rain storm last week, uprooting 120-year-old oaks all over our neighborhood. One of those monsters crushed the car of the pitcher on the summer softball team I coach. A neighbor told me it was the worst weather event he's seen in 52 years in the town.

Wherever you are, have you noticed the weird weather patterns in the last few months? Unending, intense rain. High winds. It was in the midst of a 12th day of measurable rain in a 14-day period that I saw An Inconvenient Truth, the Al Gore movie about global warming.

This is the most apolitical piece of advice I could ever give you, because I realize Al Gore is not popular with all of you. And I really don't care very much about Gore weaving details of his personal life into the global-warming lecture. But you should see this movie and judge the facts for yourself. What's happening out here is no isolated occurrence. It's going to keep happening and it's going to get worse. Facts are facts. And we all need to do something about this phenomenon of the Earth heating up and the polar ice caps melting. This is not exactly the venue to warn the world about global warming, but all you football junkies readying for your fantasy drafts should do one real-world thing in the next couple of weeks: take two hours to see this movie.

Over at NewsBusters, commenters wish King would stick to sports and leave the movies to Roger Ebert.

Bloomfield went back to the drawing board and came up with another way to try and use eminent domain to redevelop the town and gain a Stop & Shop.
From the Star Ledger...

In an attempt to fix problems with the original November 2000 plan, the planning board has approved a "Supplemental Redevelopment Area Study."

Heyer, Gruel & Associates prepared both documents, and the newer study tries to make a stronger case for Bloomfield's use of eminent domain to revitalize the area.

The supplement lists 67 properties in the 13.5-acre redevelopment zone around the Bloomfield train station as "detrimental to the safety, health, morals or welfare of the community," said Susan Gruel, who helped prepare the study.

Continue reading "Eminent Domain Again, in Bloomfield" »

Tipster Jeanne Barker writes...

Another large branch is down. This time it happened on College Avenue which was basically untouched by the big storm. The branch landed in the front yard of one neighbor and the driveway of another, narrowly missing a car. While it didn't cause any damage to property, it did take down some electric, telephone and cable wires. MPD and PSEG are on the scene now.

Photo by Kendra Baity

The Divas of Comedy are back by popular demand at Montclair's Diva Lounge Thursday, at 8:30 p.m. Funny gal Eileen Kelley isn't joking, though, about offering Baristanet readers five pairs of tickets to this week's performance.

The Divas of Comedy, Eileen Kelly ( from Glen Ridge), Carey Reilly and Sarit Catz are serving up another fun night with comics Lori Chase (of Montclair), Susan McDonald and Elaine Williams. They're giving away "fabulous" prizes... $8 cover.

$20 food/drink min. Diva Lounge, 369 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair.
Reservations recommended. 973-509-3000

The first five readers to write back to the Barista and ask - nicely, now - will have a pair of tickets to Thursday's show waiting at the box office for them.

7pm update: Trains are still delayed leaving NYC. A tipster writes:
"Sitting on 618 train that has not entered hudson river tunnel yet...Yawn"

NJ Transit trains are stuck -- with 60 minute delays out of Penn Station. Buses are all cross honoring, because of a stuck drawbridge in Secaucus afftecting both Midtown Direct and Amtrak customers.

We bumped into Montclair Mayor Ed Remsen on Bloomfield Avenue yesterday, and stopped to reflect on last week's events. Remsen expressed relief, saying he was thankful no one had been injured during the microburst. He added "It could have been a lot worse, there was no loss of life." We both concurred that mother nature's timing of the storm - late in the evening on a quiet summer's night - was in a way fortuitous.

The township is concentrating on clean-up and repair, and the costs which lie ahead are staggering, he told us. "It's going to put a huge strain on the town's resources. On Friday, Governor Corzine was here to see the damage first hand...we're waiting to hear if the state will come up with some emergency funding to help us out."

And in today's Star Ledger, township officials reportedly estimate the cost of the storm to be $500,000 for overtime and associated costs...

Maybe appearing on Montclair's Stephen Colbert show should come with a warning. Some folks just didn't get the funny when Rep. Robert Wexler enthused about cocaine and prostitutes.

Wexler was only joking, but we all know how far that excuse will get him. Watch the clip here from Crooks and Liars.

Will Colbert get any more guests? And is there finally a kindred spirit for our own Norton Philbert...

Don't expect to get served anything today at Tierney's Tavern in Montclair. Valley Road's neighborhood beer and burger joint is closed until tomorrow.

It's service interruptus, because our favorite mobsters are back in Baristaville today filming for the final season of the Sopranos. Tierney's is being used to shoot a crime scene, but as usual, exactly what's going down on the Sopranos set is all hush hush. As of this morning, things were getting set up, and the bar manager told us filming won't start until tonight. Are any of the big guys showing up? "That's unlikely" we were told. We're keeping all tip channels open for Soprano sightings and we may be found hovering in the vicinity.

Montclair Town Council meets tonight at 8 p.m. with a packed agenda. The council is asking to hear your opinion on a myriad of topics. You can start the discussion of your choice, now.

County Exec, Joey Di Vincenzo led an entourage of Essex County officials, including DEP honcho Lisa Jackson - in golf carts - through Brookdale Park yesterday to view the damage. The Star Ledger reports how he assessed the scene:

By DiVincenzo's count, the cleanup at the 121-acre park alone will take three to six months and cost about $1 million, not including the cost of new plantings to replenish the 120 trees lost in last week's fierce lightning and wind storm.

"They call this a micro-explosion. It looks like a tornado to me," said Freeholder Ralph Caputo.

Continue reading "Storm Aid: Bring In The Golf Carts!" »

The Ullrich children returned to their home in Montclair after a two week vacation, to face the shocking aftermath of last week's storm. They found their garage on Beverley Road, smashed to bits. Despite the destruction, they managed to keep their sense of humor. This was one of their clever pictures. Thanks to tipster Leena, for the photo.

AP New Jersey reports the The state Supreme Court ruled today that you may not run away when the Police tell you to stop, particularly if you are in some kind of crowded place and the police think that you might be carrying a weapon:

"A person has no constitutional right to endanger the lives of the police or public by fleeing or resisting a stop, even though a judge may later determine that the stop was unsupported by a reasonable and articulable suspicion," Justice Barry Albin wrote for the majority.
The justices ruled that the man's flight "triggered a dangerous pursuit" by police who thought he had a gun, and that police chases can result in death or injury to the police or bystanders.

Looking for a doggie playdate? All the really cute dogs seem to be hanging out at Starbucks. Scot Surbeck caught up with some photogenic canines this weekend.

Continue reading "The Dog Days of Summer" »

When last week's microburst wreaked havoc on Baristaville, some folks were better informed than others. From USA Today...

When storms knocked down a tree and damaged overhead power lines on NJ Transit tracks in suburban Montclair in the past week, it wasn't long before plugged-in commuters found out what that would mean for the next morning's rush hour.

They got an alert from NJ Transit, which transmits messages to about 38,000 commuters via cellphone, hand-held computer and e-mail of service disruptions for their requested lines and times.

In New Jersey, the e-mail alerts helped riders plan their commutes when severe thunderstorms hit Tuesday night and disrupted service.

About 1,200 customers on the Montclair-Boonton line began getting messages at 12:40 a.m. Wednesday, suggesting bus options and alternate routes. The updates continued throughout the day until service was fully restored for the evening commute.

"Customers have come to rely on the transit alerts even more than they rely on radio broadcasts," said Lynn Bowersox, a spokeswoman for NJ Transit. "It allows them to have a mobile source of information, even if they're en route to the train station."

If you want alerts sent to you, here's the link.

See Montclair life before there were McMansions galore and banks on every corner. Tonight, from 7-9 pm, there's a reception at the main branch of the Montclair Public Library, for the Washington Street YMCA & Crane House YWCA History Exhibition and Documentation Project.

This exhibit of beautiful vintage photographs depicts the every day life of the organization’s activities and members. The intention of the exhibit is to stimulate an interactive dynamic within the Montclair community to gather additional material through photographs, letters, newspapers and personal accounts that provide a record of this segment of our local history. We desire to preserve this history as a tribute to our community. The material gathered as the result of this exhibit will be duplicated and donated to the Montclair Public Library, The Montclair Historical Society and the New Jersey Historical Society.

To contribute material, contact the exhibit curators - Mark Booker – African American history collector and dealer, and Frank Gerard Godlewski – curator of the Angel Orensanz Museum, New York and architectural designer.

Montclair’s pundit of Truthiness has at last found his new Black Friend. Anyone who has followed the saga of Colbert’s search for a replacement for his old Black Friend , Alan, (who alienated Colbert by attending an Anti-War Protest) will be heartened to know that "Montclair’s pundit of Truthiness" has at last found his new Black Friend. Anyone who has followed the saga of Colbert’s search for a replacement for his old Black Friend (who alienated Colbert by attending an Anti-War Protest) will be heartened to know that Julian Bond has generously filled the void. Meanwhile Colbert still has Hispanic Friend, Aboriginal Friend, Differently-Abled Friend, Gay/Lesbian Friend, and Overly-Educated Friend openings left. No more applications for Loquacious or for Socially-Inept Friend are being accepted.

With all of us losing sleep over the visit of the assessors, Amanda Waters relates her less-than-heartening appraisal experience:

1) A young man (20 - 25) in a black sports car drove up to the house with rap music blaring so loud from the speakers that he couldn't hear me telling him to come in. He also could not see me waving him in from my front door because he was reclined back so far in the seat that he could have been preparing to take a nap. 2) He finally came in (I guess he wanted to hear the end of the song), walked through the house and checked off boxes (in pencil) on a preprinted form, then asked me to sign it. 3) Because it was prepared in pencil, how do I know that someone couldn’t erase what he checked off and re-checked any box with incorrect information?

Amanda asks, "Am I worried? You bet I am!" I personally would prefer my assessment done by any ol' dope fiend, as long as he uses a Sharpie.

"How many bathrooms did you say you had?"

Bloomfield Councilwoman, Janice Maly has announced that with a $232,800 Green Acres, grant combined with $37,500 from the Essex County Open Space program and another $37,500 the township will ante up, Bloomfield will create an 11,000 square foot ramp park for skateboarders and BMX bikers – not one of those typical, bargain-basement, town-installed skate ramps much scorned by skaters in favor of the challenges of stairs, rooftops, and railings. According to Bloomfield Municipal Youth Guidance Councilor, Gary Iacobacci, "This park will be envied by other towns.” To be sited in the section of Lower Memorial Park now host to a defunct mini golf course (a remnant of the mini-golf craze of the 90s? or not hazardous enough to the cognoscenti of mini golf?), this planned veritable Taj Mahal of Rampage – I mean, ramp-age – will be designed by the world-renowned Nate Wessel. Wessel’s talents will be donated as a tribute to his friend Joe Tiseo, a Bloomfield resident who died in a motorcycle accident.

Last night was the big night. And, judging by their website, it seems the multi-year Montclair High School reunion was a success.

This one will definitely become part of Montclair legend and lore. The night we lit up the Commonwealth club and watched it burn. Part surreal epiphany, part Twilight Zone, it was a night all of us will long remember.

So were you there? Did you have fun? And more importantly, is the Commonwealth Club still standing?

How come we all grew up without the slightest inkling of the peril of the Microburst? It’s because when we were kids, there was no such thing. The cutting edge weather
phenomenon which knocked us powerless this week wasn’t even invented until the1970s. Ted Fujida, a Japanese researcher who was on the forefront of Microburstology was, like many a genius before him, scoffed at and scorned for his discovery even though he was already famous for having invented the notorious "F scale" for measuring tornado strength.

By 1982, the atmospheric research center and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration admitted that Fujida and his cadre of rebel meteorologists were onto something.
And since then Mircobursts have been experiencing a surge in popularity. Just this week St. Louis, Cleveland, Maine and Alabama claimed to be au courant enough to have had one.
Of course, it could have been worse: the “truly strange weather log book” reports on such truly avant garde weather as hailstones containing frozen ducks, a live 8" long gopher turtle entirely encased in ice, small black worms, snakes (some 18 inches long), ivy berries, and a deluge of toads which forced children to take to the streets with buckets in order to prevent a wart outbreak.

If you want to know how tell a Microburst from a Deluge of Toads check out Microburst handbook

Yesterday, there were some 400 homes without power in Montclair.

Last night, I asked a PSE & G guy walking around my street, to give it me straight, no sugar-coating. Will I ever get power back? He said...

"You want me to be really honest. I think you'll get power back tomorrow morning."

So far, still no power. If you or someone you know, does not yet have power, tell us the street, so we can get a sense of what the number is now.

Ed Remsen writes:

I've seen enough downed trees to last a lifetime. Spent three hours today as part of am emergency caravan with the Manager, PSE+G, Police Dep't, Public Works, Health Dep't and Red Cross, getting to the worst hit areas in town with the power still out. As of this afternoon, we had about 400 homes out and unfortunately, they were scattered all over town - these were the really tough areas with side and backyard trees having ripped down the wires to small clusters of houses, making access a nightmare... by this evening just about everything was back on and then there was a flame out of some sort at the Nutley station that threw a lot of the northeast part of town into darkness for a few hours. The Town and residents will be cutting and carting trees for months and the damage to yards, cars, homes and sidewalks is incredible. We're hoping to hear from Gov. Corzine on Monday about possible state aid for this emergency. To report dangerous situations involving tree limbs, call the Police Dispatch at 744-1234. For any questions about resoratrion of power call PSE+G at (800) 430-7734. From 9 - 4 on Saturday, Public Works offices will be staffed with operators to answer more routine questions about disposal of tree and other debris; a garbage truck will be stationed at 219 North Fullerton for any residents who wish to bring spoiled food. Township supervisory staff will be on duty 24/7 all weekend.

Yesterday afternoon there were numerous reports of knights and fair ladies roaming the streets of midtown Montclair. Some of them even clutched little gargoyles in their small hands. Last Friday you could have glimpsed some miniscule Pharaohs, and next week batten down the hatches, there will be pirates afoot. At Nandi School of Art, creative campers are traveling through time proving that (just as many parents believe) summer really does last for ages.

Neither rain, nor heat, nor Microburst will prevent Baristaville from selling off its excess goods. On Park Street, between Chestnut and Walnut, we spied a very large garage sale -- lots of stuff and a tent protecting it all -- in progress.

Meanwhile, if you're having one this weekend, post it here...

The contents of your fridge reeking after days without power? Glen Ridge is having a special "spoiled food" garbage pickup tomorrow (Saturday) for those affected.

Continue reading "That Stinks" »

This weekend, music and more in Baristaville:

Friday July 21

CONCERT AT MONTCLAIR CENTER STAGE
Local rock band, Angels Garage, play outside on Church Street, 7 pm. Free. Summer Music sponsored by the Business Improvement District.

ROCK N ROLL AT TIERNEY'S
Suzie Q and the Crew perform at 10 pm. $5 Cover. Don't forget there's also a MHS Class of 1976 Reunion, 7-10 pm.

Continue reading "Thrill Seekers" »

True, Upper Montclair is still a mess, and things aren't going so great in the Middle East either, but look on the bright side: corn and tomatoes are in season at the farmer's market! And that's tomorrow! Shown here, Jim Matarazzo of Matarazzo Farms, holding the family's oddly-named farm-stand mascot, Charles Barkley, the goat.

As always, 8 to 2 on Saturdays in the Walnut St. parking lot.

Forte, from outside and in, by Warren Levinson. Joe Forte told us that it was a driver ramming into the building that set the restaurant on fire. Sadly, he'd spent the previous two days recovering from a power outtage and getting the restaurant ready for business. Aside from the driver, no one was seriously injured.

In our mailbox...

The Office of the County Executive and the Department of Parks and Recreation have announced that the Friday, July 21st concert featuring The Stylistics has been postponed. Strong winds and heavy rains that passed through the area on the night of Tuesday, July 18th caused significant damage and created unsafe conditions in the park.

Clean up activities are continuing and Essex County Brookdale Park will remain closed to the public until further notice. County officials are asking the public for their cooperation and apologize for any inconvenience.

The new date is Thursday, August 3, 7:30 p.m., at Brookdale Park.

Bloomfield’s new Superintendent of Schools, Frank Digesere stepped into a job 10 days ago which he says “is the perfect fit” because of similarities between Bloomfield and Kearny, where he was high school principal. A jazz afficionado, Digesere taught music and band before getting into the administrative side of things. School Board Prez, Ed Zilinski says Digesere charmed the public at a recent meeting:

Digesere's experience at a high school is a large part of why the school board was drawn to him, said Board President Edmund Zi linski. During the months-long interview process, the board whittled the candidates down from 21 appli cants to eight to two finalists…Digesere was chosen after a public forum at which residents got a chance to ask questions. "He overwhelmed the public with his ease, ideas and creativity," Zilinski said. "His personality is what really wowed the public."
His predecessor, Thomas Dowd, was criticized by parents and board members for not communicating with the public, but Digesere wants to interact with the public as much as possible. He has proposed quarterly forums where he would field questions from citizens about the state of the district. Dowd retired in June.

It's official: now that we are over our initial storm shock, we can start our musings about the whys and wherefores of it all. A tipster sent in these comments today to get us going.

Many of the trees downed in Edgemont park are part of a Grove planted to celebrate the sesquicentennial of the constitution.

Is this a metaphor for Mother Nature's opinion of the Bush administration?

Is this a symbol of Mother Nature's endorsement of Al Gore in 2008.

Now go on with your own musings....

The power is still off in part of Upper Montclair, so the morning thunder rumbles are anything but welcome. The weather service says the storms are a parting gift from Tropical Storm Beryl as it sweeps out to sea.
The special weather statement is here.

Scot Surbeck files his latest photo essay on clean up efforts here.

Meanwhile, Montclair has published a Microburst 2006 dos and don’ts list on its website. Our favorite – a warning to folks who might use the disaster to get the city to take away "stumps from private trees". Apparently those arrangements are to be made by homeowners.

Continue reading "Microburst 2006 Day Three" »

By now some of us (especially those still without power) could use a drink or maybe several. Calling all mixologists -- you remember the Baristarita. Now give us a good post-storm drink. Something that pairs well with the food you need to use or lose in your freezer (now's the time to BBQ all the frozen meat and chicken, folks...).

If you've got some fruit you need to get rid of, there's always sangria. Talk about what you're drinking or anything else now. Daily Chat time...

An anniversary today, of another groundshaking event which took place in 1969...

Two men "wearing American flags sewn on their left shoulders," stepped into history and placed their feet on the moon. The first, at 10:18 p.m. eastern time, was Neil Alden Armstrong, 38, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, who uttered the memorable words, "That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." He was followed at 11:18 p.m. by was Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., 39, of Montclair, N.J. His understated but emotional response was "Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. A magnificent desolation."

Continue reading "Remember This" »

Sherri Zuckerman sent us some cool pictures of Tuesday night's microburst, but we really got excited when we saw that Kodak Easy Share would let us make them into t-shirts, aprons, mugs and, yes, playing cards.

(Here's the slide show, without the tchotchkes.)

It's official: Montclair's Giant, Michael Strahan, is no longer a married man. From 7Online...

The one-time couple were granted a divorce today by Essex County Superior Court Judge James Convery, ending their nasty trial that has provided daily fodder for the tabloids.

"I'm done. I don't think I can get any more done with this relationship," said Jean Strahan. "I'll be starting a new chapter of my life. Today starts that chapter."

"I'm leaving in an hour to go to the Hamptons," she said. "I feel like I haven't seen the girls a lot because of this. I'm anxious to spend every minute I can with those two."

It's not really over, until September, when a decision is expected to be made about the $14 million settlement Jean Strahan is seeking. But what we really want to know is -- will the Lloyd Road Georgian come on the market? Jean has said she wants to stay in town...

It's not a war zone and there's not civil unrest, but there are still live wires all over the place. The Montclair Times reports that Montclair town manager Joe Hartnett has declared a state of emergency. State troopers and out-of-town cops have arrived to help prevent sightseers from electrocuting themselves on downed transformers.

We’ve seen patrol cars from Nutley, Fairfield and Montclair State safeguarding streets where wires are still hot and we've learned that the Essex County Rapid Deployment Team has been pitching in. PSE&G representatives on the street say they expect power restored by tonight or tomorrow morning.

Despite the wreckage, there have been no deaths or injuries reported.

Montclair Mayor Ed Remsen told Baristanet that repair crews are working round the clock, but progress is slow because “access to the downed power lines is tortuous.” There are so many above-ground wires under debris that workers can’t even see where all the wires are. PSE&G is working pole by pole: cutting, cleaning and looking for downed transformers and hot wires.

What will this all cost? It's on everybody's mind, but so far no official estimates.

Walter and Lauren Giles, their two kids and black lab, Daisy were in their house on Berkeley Place, Montclair when Tuesday night’s microburst seemingly engulfed their home.

“Eerie, very weird, like the Spielberg movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, when the ship hovers over the house,” is how Walter described the experience which caused four huge trees to topple like Popsicle sticks onto and around their home.

“At about 10:15 pm I was in the back, in the kitchen, when I first heard a loud crack. Then I saw a massive tree on the corner of North Mountain and Berkeley crash onto a utility pole. My wife and I both saw a huge fireball when the tree hit the transformer.”

That’s when things started getting weird:
“ Outside, everything was totally black. We heard a weird sound, like a low rumble. Then buckets of rain were hitting our windows, and it seemed like we were underwater...Then we were surrounded by a white mist – couldn’t see out – it was like being in a plane when you fly through a cloud.”

The whole thing was intense, scary, he told us.The family was huddled in the basement until things subsided. Daisy, their lab, was the calmest of them all, following them around the house. Fortunately no one was hurt, and there was not a lot of structural damage to their property.

Driving across parts of Baristaville is still sending commuters into seek and find mode. Tons of streets are still barricaded and blocked by fallen trees and downed power lines. Plan on extra time to get from here to there...

And we just heard that there's a 90 minute backup into the Lincoln Tunnel this morning, starting at The Meadowlands...three vehicle accident.

This morning's news reports that there are still nearly 1,500 homes without power in Baristaville and that it's going to take a good two weeks to clear all the wreckage and tree debris from our streets and yards. If you know of someone that needs help of any kind, is stuck without a car, trapped in a blocked street, needs some bags of ice, or could use some help to board up broken windows, tell us here. If your have any coping strategies, speak now.

CBS asked folks just how big a deal last night's electric light show really was.

Youseff Tarik, also of Upper Montclair, told us he had "no phone, no electricity, no power."

The damage in town is so bad that they say they're bringing crews from central New Jersey to help restore service. Much of the cabling runs through back yards and other hard-to-reach areas.

Another homeowner said he isn't sure how PSE&G will get their equipment trucks in his backyard. But that's the least of his problems.

He says all the food in his refrigerator has gone bad, and the township hasn't given him a definite time on when they'll clean it all up.

Utility officials said that many residents would not have full service restored until tomorrow.

So we ask you...

Continue reading "Microburst: Major or Minor Damage?" »

Slide show from Scot Surbeck here. Watch this space for more from Baristaville's intrepid, camera-toting citizen journalists...

Our favorite...

"Smile by the fallen tree, sweeties" taken at Beverly & Grove Streets, Lisa Passmore

Continue reading "Live Blogging Microburst 2006" »

From the NJ Transit website:

Jul 19, 2006 02:49:09 PM

Repairs to the overhead power and signal lines on the Montclair-Boonton Line have been completed following last night's severe weather. Eastbound Monclair-Boonton line service will resume normal operations starting with train 6242, the 3:00 pm departure from MSU. Westbound Montclair-Boonton line service will resume normal operations starting with train 6253, the 3:50 pm departure from NY Penn Station.

Meanwhile, if you were planning to go to Montclair Public Library's Bellevue Avenue Branch, don't. It will be closed due to some flooding on the lower level.

We've gotten a ton of great photos, tips, and traffic, as you can see, today regarding the wild weather in our area last night. Here are just a few of the things that have come through. If anyone has photos they'd like to have us add and credit you for, or if you have anything up on photo sites such as Flickr, drop us a line!

Lots more after the jump.

Continue reading "Some photos from Baristavilleites" »

Montclair, White Plains, Long Island, everyone is saying the "T" word. From Fox News.

From PSE&G:

• As of about 11 am, 11,400 customers without power


• 79,000 customers who had lost power but now restored


• Widespread damage throughout North Jersey, but most damage in Montclair, Bloomfield and Verona.


• Most power expected to be restored by 4 pm tomorrow.

Lots more soon, photos and all.

Police report approximately 190 trees are down in Montclair and dozens of power lines ripped to the ground. Officers spent most of last night and this morning cordoning off danger areas with crime scene tape and redirecting confused drivers. Entire chunks of North Mountain, Upper Mountain, Valley, Park Street, Grove Street and Watchung Ave. closed. However, Bloomfield Ave. is entirely passable.

Montclair streets have essentially turned into an elaborate maze, with drivers becoming lab rats. Some, failing the test, are so frustrated that they're driving right through yellow police tape. Not recommended. All this to the sound of news choppers and tree grinding equipment. Pedestrians are walking around in a state of shock.

An early morning walk around Edgemont Park revealed entire trees uprooted, permanently altering the landscape.

PSE&G told some neighbors that power may be restored in 48 hours.

Train service to New York this morning is extremely spotty, with NJ Transit's Montclair Direct line out of service, but some trains running to Hoboken. From NJ Transit:

Continue reading "Here's Your Get-Out-of-Work-Free Pass" »

Upper Montclair is a complete disaster zone, with trees, branches and power lines down, streets closed, electricity out almost everywhere, TV news vans on the prowl and people just standing around in disbelief. "It's unreal," says Barista Liz George, now out taking pictures and trying to make her way over to this Barista's house to file.

(Photo of Morningside Ave. in Upper Montclair by Peter Gargiulo.)

Reader Gregory Babula reports:

I was driving home thru Brookdale at about 1045 PM Monday night in the aftermath of the storm and it looked like a tornado had passed thru.
- Large tree limbs and some trees down all over, littering yards and streets. Numerous police cars and fire engines.
- Broad St closed between W Passaic Ave and somewhere north of Watchung Ave
- Something going on down Overlook Ter or Mountain Ave off Broad St, but couldn't tell what.
- I tried to go down Bellevue to get to Grove St, but there was a large tree down across the road just past the entrance to Brookdale Park (the road hadn't even been blocked off yet - everybody had to do K-turns in the road). In the same area a large tree was down in somebody's front yard, taking down the power lines and cutting power to the area.
-There was also a large tree down blocking the entrance into Brookdale Park.
- The GSP S/B was closed just north of the Watchung Ave exit - you could see the flashing lights (and backed up traffic) from both the W Passaic and Watchung overpasses.

I myself heard a tree fall, in the south end of Montclair, at 11. About ten minutes later an SUV, refusing to be deterred, plowed through the branches leaving some of its body parts behind. A woman hopped out and then right back in ,before screeching away. Another car, learning from those who had blazed the trail, opted to drive over someone's lawn. Ten minutes later, a second SUV repeated the performance, pushing the branches almost completely to one side of the road.

By midnight the police arrived on the scene (they were very busy, they told us) and by 1 the trucks had come and removed all evidence of the night's drama--that is except for the unbalanced leftover tree and perhaps a shiver of SUV pride. A driver of a mere wagon would have been forced to slow down, or, horror of horrors, taken an alternate route and been deprived of that essential traffic artery of Washington Avenue.

While we're kvetching about our high taxes, spotty services, and comparing lifestyle notes, our Baristaville neighbor, Wayne makes Money Magazine's national list of Best Places To Live, coming in at #32. Yes, it's yet another list telling us where we can live in supposed bliss. Money's editors ranked 745 locales of populations of 50,000 or more. They considered the cost of living, taxes, housing prices, schools, crime, climate and congestion. (There was no mention if cool rock bands adopting the town's name influenced final scores.) Four other New Jersey cities ranked in the top 100: Parsippanny-Troy Hills, Edison, Cherry Hill, and Middletown.

Fort Collins, Colorado (dubbed a "dream town" by Outside Magazine) took first place.

We don't think that the threat of missile attacks is what extreme tourism is all about, but these days, on the beaches of Tel Aviv, that's an unfortunate part of the vacation package. Montclair resident Aharon Ben-Haim is over there now, and he shares his experience with the Newhouse News Service:

"It's a possibility a missile will hit, but the possibility it will hit me is very small," he said. "So I don't worry. I'm not going to change my life out of fear."

Still, his housemate, Brigitte Padberg, a German teacher at William Paterson University, said she was getting nervous about plans they had for visiting relatives in the north...
Ben-Haim and Padberg said they hadn't changed their departure plans, and neither had three friends from New York who had been part of a hiking tour called Israel Extreme and extended a few days to enjoy the beach.

Continue reading "Extreme Vacationing" »

Announced yesterday: Essex, Hudson, and Passaic Counties are getting the lion's share of New Jersey's anti-terrorism federal dollars: $3.6 million. But the Homeland Security dollars come after a new risk-based assessment, which puts Essex County in second place in the state for most likely terrorist target. From The Star Ledger:

Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said his county faces one of the greatest risks in New Jersey because of its banking center, international airport, bustling port, cluster of hospitals, chemical factories and entrances to tunnels and bridges. "All of these things pose a greater risk and greater threat assessment in the state," he said.

Counties can use the homeland security money to equip and train emergency personnel, protect facilities against terror attacks and develop domestic preparedness programs.

We have a call in to our police departments to see if any of those dollars will trickle down to the local level.

A Newark man has been arrested and charged with stabbing a woman over a dispute for a parking space during Bloomfield's Independence Day festivities. Police were able to identify the alleged stabber from a picture taken by a bystander. From My Bloomfield:

Michael Salcedo of Newark was arrested on July 11 and charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He was taken to Essex County Jail, according to Detective Andy Zachares.

The unidentified victim has been released from the hospital, according to a friend of the victim’s family. She was stabbed in the lower back during a dispute in the parking lot of Finish Line Two car wash on Broad Street. Police were hesitant to release many details, but Police Spokesman Capt. Michael Behre said last week that there was a “confrontation” over the lack of parking space in the lot, where residents were gathered to watch the fire-works display at Foley Field.

In tax-stressed towns such as Glen Ridge, families are grabbing for a real-estate listing as soon as their youngest slip out of cap and gown. Many families are counting on the savings in property taxes to fund college tuition bills...Carl Bergmanson, Glen Ridge's mayor, said the inherent unfairness of school funding in New Jersey forces many households in town to "downsize" early.

Continue reading "Signs Of The Times" »

Check with your city commuter before going to the kiss-and-ride to pick them up. We hear that the last two NJ Transit trains from Gotham to Baristaville have run late.

Sheesh. Someone picked the hottest day of the year to poop in the Glen Ridge Community Pool, which means it's CLOSED until tomorrow morning. More bad news: it closes tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4:30 pm for a swim meet.

Better luck for overheated New Yorkers. Pools there are staying open an hour later in this heat emergency.

The Star Ledger reports that developer Eugene Diaz is applying for a variance to transform the Westinghouse Lamp Company and General Electric industrial complex (just by the Garden State Parkway, at the East Orange/Bloomfield border) into a 760-unit condominium loft and townhouse complex "geared toward the urban-suburban worker, with a combination of one and two bedroom units." A public hearing on the Parkway Lofts application will commence on Wednesday at 7:30 at the East Orange zoning board's meeting in the first floor city council chambers. At least one dissenter, Rudy Cicchino (or his lawyer) who owns and operates three adjacent to the site, will be sure to express opposition on the basis of "over-building," "lack of parking," etc. etc.

For those of you who were wondering what heinous crime had transpired last night on Clark Road, it was all about a trespasser in a commercial building.

The New York Times reports that commuting in Newark has just begun to make sense. As of today new rail spur will actually make it possible to get from the Broad Street Station to Penn Station (no, not THAT Penn Station). Running every ten minutes during rush hour these cute, little thingies will get you from one transportation hub to the other and also stop at NJPAC.

According to the renowned sources at Light Rail Now! this one mile extension represents

a reversal of the destructive truncations of the system carried out by the privately owned New Jersey Public Service in the Transit Holocaust era.

The Weather Service has issued an all-caps weather warning for today:

EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 7 PM EDT
MONDAY.

TEMPS WILL CLIMB INTO THE MID & UPPER 90S UNDER HAZY
SUNSHINE DURING MON AFTERNOON. SUCH TEMPS WHEN COMBINED
WITH INCREASING HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL LET THE HEAT INDEX CLIMB TO
BETWEEN 100 & 105 DEGREES DURING THE AFTERNOON HRS. THE MAX
HEAT INDEX VALUE OF AROUND 105 DEGREES IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR BETWEEN
THE HRS OF 200 PM & 500 PM.

Ecco Bella, a Montclair,company, has introduced a wondrous thing, chocolate for PMS. The Woman's Wonder bar (not to be confused with the Wonder Bra another remarkable invention) combines chocolate with soy,chaste tree berry, herbs and rose oil to solve all the problems of woman kind in only 270 calories.

WCBS reports that Newark Mayor, Cory Booker took his crime-fighting to the streets, shedding his jacket to chase down a robber at an ATM. It might not be the most efficient way to rid the streets to perps but at least it would ensure that our mayors would be fit and trim.

Though it was written in Russia more than a century ago, much of Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard” seems to be speaking directly to us. A family going broke faces a stark choice: sell the land around the house, allowing villas to replace a beloved orchard, or lose everything. Anyone who’s watched cherished open space gobbled up by suburban sprawl in New Jersey can identify.

And you don’t have to be a member of the fading gentry like Chekhov’s Madame Ranevskaya to seize on her solution, which is to live in denial and hope that something miraculous will come along.

Unfortunately, Bonnie J. Monte’s staging of the play never quite wrenches the work free of the museum display case. Some of this is Chekhov's problem, to be sure. The play loads up a lot of exposition in the opening scences. But there’s a declamatory quality to the performances that serves to keep a regrettable distance between the audience and the emotional heart of the story.

Continue reading "An "Orchard" Too Far" »

Here's the before picture...

Continue reading "Someone Ate My House" »

Who knew CNN was the place for funny? Baristaville's Evan Cutler sends us this "PSA" he made for Glenn Beck's show on CNN Headline News (airs 7 pm, 9 pm and midnight, seven days as week).

Cutler filmed it with local kids at the Nishuane Park playground. See it here on YouTube.

Too bad Princeton's most famous resident, Albert Einstein, isn't still alive. He'd probably be able to understand the ins and outs of today's new NJ sales tax, which goes into effect today.

The Full Employment for NJ Tax Accountants Act of 2006 is here. Among its mysteries: fur clothing is now taxed for the first time, but unlike, say, toilet paper, now taxed at 7 percent, your mink twinset will be taxed at 6 percent.

Soprano Sue, a courier by day, complains that the new tax, which applies to messengers, complicates her life. And will that pizza delivery now be taxed?

Stay tuned.

Tipsters are writing in to ask why are streets closed by Erwin Park, not far from the home of Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker. Whether it's a Bastille Day party complete with tarte tatin or something serious, we'll update when we know.

We received an e-mail from Mayor Ed Remsen, sharing with us a fact sheet prepared by Joe Hartnett, who says...

As promised yesterday, attached is a fact sheet you can use to help with citizen inquiries/complaints about the tax bills. It will also be posted on the website and sent out to the news media. You can feel free to print out or email to people or whatever. I hope it helps. Best --- Joe

FACT SHEET REGARDING 2006 PROPERTY TAX INCREASE IN MONTCLAIR

Q. I recently received my third quarter estimated tax bill. If I multiply this by four, it appears that I have a huge tax increase this year. Is this correct?

A. No, this is not correct. The correct way to calculate your property tax for the year 2006 is to ADD your first and second quarter tax bills to the third quarter estimated tax bill you received and the fourth quarter actual bill you will receive. When you add these together, the result will be a total 5% property tax increase for the year 2006 in Montclair.

Q. Will my fourth quarter tax bill be the same as my third quarter tax bill?

A. No, it will not. The third quarter bill is estimated based on the status of the Montclair Township, Essex County and public schools budgets at the time the bills were mailed. Subsequent to the bills being mailed, Montclair Township and Essex County reduced their budgets and your fourth quarter tax bill will be less than your third quarter tax bill.

Continue reading "FAQ About Montclair Tax Hike" »

We don't quite understand what's going on in council chambers in Bloomfield, but this much we gather: it ain't pretty.

On Monday night, the council voted 4-2 to replace 22-year town attorney Vincent Pirone with township prosecutor Paul Sant’Ambrogio. But Bloomfield mayor Ray McCarthy, who was on vacation when the vote took place, says the vote was illegal. And so does Pirone, who wants another year at the job.

If McCarthy is right, and the action was illegal, then Bloomfield is currently without an attorney, as Pirone's term has expired. The Independent Press quotes McCarthy:

“There’s no judge that’s going to uphold what they’ve done. If I have to go to court on this, then I will."

Just what Bloomfield needs: another lawsuit.

This weekend in Baristaville:

Know of more fun stuff to do? Just put it in the comments....

According to a gentleman named Gerry Giannetti who posted on this thread, Urban Outfitters will open on July 26th. We're waiting for confirmation, but in the meantime, Gerry leaves his email address as well as an open call for help today.

If you or anyone you know is interested in helping to set up the store from July 20th to July 26th please stop by for a group interview at Starbucks on Bloomfield Ave near Whole Foods Market on:

Friday, July 14 at 11 am Or Saturday, July 15 at 3pm.

Meanwhile, here's the listing for jobs on the website.

You want to drink more in Montclair? Start making babies now. Montclair is still shy when it comes to population -- and the magic number is 39,000 to get the town another liquor license. From the Star Ledger...

Looking to pick up a liquor license to auction off for much-sought-after revenue, Montclair is gathering evidence to formally challenge U.S. Census Bureau numbers putting it shy of the magic population number of 39,000 it needs to be granted a 13th "consumption license."

"With all the restaurants, there is a lot of demand," Linda Wanat, Montclair's township clerk, said earlier this week. "At least a half a million dollars," she said of the revenue a sale of a license could generate for the town.

In the Census 2005 projection released just last month, Montclair is 1,202 people short. In fact, the Census has charted a 2.2 percent decline in Montclair's population since 2000.

Of course there is a perfectly good liquor license that's been languishing for two years.

Continue reading "So That's What All The Townhouses Are For" »

Anyone have any leaks because of yesterday's rain? In other leak news (gratuitious segue), this just in from CNN.

Looking for the sound of silence? Have we got a walk for you!

The "STEPPING LIGHTLY" Walk in Montclair
When: Fridays at 7:00-8:00 pm
Where: Bloomfield Ave in Montclair meeting in front of the Whole Foods/Starbucks
Event: A Silent Community Walking Meditation
Intention: A Rotation in Consciousness
We walk in silence for an hour then we converge for our parking lot meeting where we share all the insights and funny stories of the walk. It is a hoot to see what you notice when you are walking so mindfully!

Top 10 REASONS to "Step Lightly"
1. Be in community
2. Cultivate awareness
3. Do something different, offbeat and intriguing
4. Opportunity to step out yourself
5. Go past pretty flower shop on Church St.
6. Get a latte at the end:)
7. Plant seeds of peace and responsibility for how we live on this earth
8. To offer gratitude for the ability to walk
9. Notice all sorts of passing wonders
10. Practice meditation

We invite you to add your own "reasons" here, or talk about anything else. Your not-silent daily chat starts now...

Say what you want about Michael Strahan -- and the Star Ledger, New York Daily News (below) and New York Post all did today, but you've got to be amazed (or laugh out loud at) his attempts to turn trysts into business affairs. Kind of reminds us of the "if you talked about business for 10 minutes, it's deductible" tax advice we get from our accountant...

The affable lineman at first tried to claim he had jetted out with lovelies Lindsay Dierling and Teresa Higgonbothom on business.

But under questioning, he confessed that a trip to St. Maarten with Higgonbothom last July was all fun and games.

"That was pleasure," he said, with a smirk.

Jean Strahan's lawyer, Ellen Marshall, quizzed him about a jaunt last August with Dierling, which he also first said was business-related.

"What kind of business was it?" Marshall asked.

"That's our business," the grid great quipped.

Meanwhile, the Post gives the Giant the title of Sick Strahan, over reports of his planting a secret videotape in a bedroom to capture his wife's sister undressing. A sign to leave, no?

Baristanet readers will remember this property was for sale a while back. Located at 24 Upper Mountain Ave, by Claremont Ave., on .43 acre, it was priced at $899,000, then dropped to $869,000. Its listing notes described it as..." Built Circa 1900, of the finest material and arch. specs, this stately, center hall Dutch Colonial is truely one of the Fathers of Montclair. The restoration is to period and mostly complete. Presently used as a single family but has capability for 4-6 units."

Now, a five-unit townhome project is being proposed for the site. From the Montclair Times...

During their latest meeting on Monday evening, the Montclair Planning Board was asked to consider a five-unit townhouse project, billed as a “mansion-type design,” that would include the finest materials and fittings, and even private elevators.

A block of businesses, apartments and a favorite lunch spot were destroyed in yesterday's fire at the Clifton Main Diner. From North Jersey.com

Besides the diner, the fire destroyed an H&R Block building, a vacant store, a mortgage company and several apartments. Police cordoned off an area from Clifton and Main avenues to Madison Avenue, and onlookers began to congregate to watch the fire.

For a number of years, the diner was a downtown spot for cheeseburgers, said a person who ate there regularly.

Photo below from Soprano Sue, who tells us that Ronnie's Clifton Music was spared.

How much more tax are you going to pay on your Montclair home? Plan to sock away at least another $650 bucks a year. The numbers, from the Star Ledger:

The average Montclair homeowner is looking at a municipal property tax increase of $160.62, Township Manager Joseph Hartnett said just two weeks before the budget's expected adoption.

The increase on a home assessed at $252,000 -- the township average -- is down $35.73 from the projected tax increase of $196.35 just a few weeks ago.

If approved, the package -- combining municipal, school and county governments -- would cost the average Montclair homeowner an extra $646.92 in the coming year.

Continue reading "Montclair Does The Math" »

Soprano Sue calls tonight with news of a major fire in downtown Clifton. We can't find anything online about it, but check back tomorrow. Meanwhile, here's more info on that false alarm this morning when a civil emergency message was sent out accidentally.

Montclair police are investigating the apparent suicide last night of a man in his 20's, who lived at 20 Brookfield Rd. The name of the victim has not been released pending notification of kin.

The man apparently had been drinking with a family friend before shooting himself with a shotgun. Police found a cache of weapons in the house, indicating that the victim might have been a gun collector or gun aficionado.

Continue reading "Cautionary Tales From Lake Watchung" »

As predicted: thunder, lightning, rain. If you see hail, fallen trees, flash floods or tornados, let us know.