Drug Arrest in Montclair

Wednesday, Jun 30, 2010 4:25pm  |  COMMENTS (20)

A drug arrest was made at Glenfield Park in Montclair yesterday by Essex County sheriff’s officers.
Officers conducted surveillance operations in response to anonymous tips from local residents, Sheriff Armando Fontoura said in a press release.
Sheriff Fontoura said:

Officers observed two suspects at the Maple Avenue side of the park who matched descriptions of drug peddlers made by a local resident who provided the Sheriff’s Office with an anonymous tip.
When the suspects spotted the officers they fled from the scene on bicycles.

Continue Reading

Lebron Watch

Wednesday, Jun 30, 2010 4:05pm  |  COMMENTS (2)

lebron james.jpgLeBron James is less than a day away from becoming the most sought after free agent in basketball.
The New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks are flying to James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio on Thursday to try and convince him to come to the East Coast.
Other teams courting the basketball superstar are the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat, along with his current team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Will you be on LeBron watch tomorrow? Are you rooting for him to come to New Jersey? Or will it be a waste of time?
Photo by Flickr user: Keith Allison

Baristanet Carries Forward New York Times “Local” in New Jersey

Wednesday, Jun 30, 2010 2:10pm  |  COMMENTS (37)

Starting tomorrow, July 1, the place we all call Baristaville gets bigger.
We will begin covering Maplewood, Millburn and South Orange with sites for each town as The New York Times today ends publication of The Local in New Jersey and directs its readers in those three towns to Baristanet.
We’ve served Montclair, Glen Ridge and Bloomfield — towns encompassing about 90,000 people — since 2004. Expanding to Maplewood, South Orange and Millburn will bring Baristanet’s coverage area to 150,000.
“Hyperlocal journalism is constantly evolving, and as The Times continues to investigate this arena, we’ll watch with great interest how our friends at Baristanet advance the cause in Maplewood, South Orange and Millburn,” said Jim Schachter, associate managing editor.
We’re thrilled that the Times has passed their hyperlocal baton to us and we will run with it. First and foremost, we are your local homegrown online community. And to that end, we are bringing these new towns into an expanded “Baristaville” by staying local. Journalist and Maplewood resident Jolie Solomon joins the Baristanet team along with community contributors from Maplewood, South Orange and Millburn.

Continue Reading

Friends Of Montclair Russian Spies Tell All

Wednesday, Jun 30, 2010 12:34pm  |  COMMENTS (10)

The New York Daily News has a story of a family who were friends with Montclair’s alleged Russian spies after meeting them in 2003 when the Murphys lived in Hoboken. The couple, who say they felt betrayed after learning of their friends’ alleged spy activities, spoke on condition of anonymity. They also shared an album of photos of the Murphy family.

“I look back at it now and think, ‘We let them watch our kids!’ Russian spies watching our kids,” the husband said.

The Hoboken friends got close enough to the Murphys to have dinners together (Cynthia was lauded as a great cook and even baked cookies shaped like the Statue of Liberty), barbecues and attend a birthday party for one of the Murphy daughters. The last contact from the Murphys came with a photo Christmas card in December 2009, taken in front of their home on Marquette Road.

MSU Mural on Valley Road

Wednesday, Jun 30, 2010 12:00pm  |  COMMENTS (2)

mural.jpgHave you seen the massive mural on the brick wall between the new Bamboo Asian Bistro and Montclair Charbroil on Valley Road?
Here’s a photo of a section of it, kindly sent by former Barista and multitalented photographer, Fran Liscio Pelzman.
A note on it reads, “This mural was produced by students of Montclair State University under the art leadership of Zachary Wellard and Julie Hefferman,” and acknowledges its many contributors.

Continue Reading

Supporting or Opposing Gov. Christie’s Tax Cap?

Wednesday, Jun 30, 2010 10:25am  |  COMMENTS (27)

In an effort to get New Jersey out of debt, Gov. Christie has proposed a constitutional amendment that would cap the local increase in property taxes at 2.5 percent per year. Cory Booker is a supporter. Critics bring up California’s famous Proposition 13, which capped property taxes in the state, but led to a drastic drop in the quality of its public schools. What do you think?

Locals Audition for Oprah

Wednesday, Jun 30, 2010 9:00am  |  COMMENTS (0)

Nicole Duke.jpgThink you have what it takes to be on television? Why not audition for “Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star?”
That’s exactly what two citizens of Baristaville did.
Nicole Duke, Montclair resident and former owner of café and boutique, Nicole’s Closet in Bloomfield, sent in a video and also attended a in-person audition for a chance to get her own show.

Continue Reading

Coyote Pups Sighting On Eagle Rock Way

Tuesday, Jun 29, 2010 4:00pm  |  COMMENTS (45)

Watch out for coyotes. A tipster tells us of three coyote pups spotted on Eagle Rock Way in Montclair last night.

Last night at around 9:45 pm, I saw 3 coyote pups darting back and forth across Eagle Rock Way, just south of Llewellyn Rd. I did report it to the DEP and they confirmed from my description that they were in fact coyote pups, not foxes. (Coyote pups are beige and gray with a tail that sticks out straight behind them. Their ears stand up, resembling large cat ears.) The pups were about the height of a medium sized dog but were very skinny with long legs. The person at the DEP has advised me not to let my small dog outside unattended even in our fenced in yard, especially at night. Also, she suggested we keep our property free of anything that might attract small animals or rodents, such as fallen fruit from a tree, dog food or unsecured garbage, as those are all things which will attract a coyote. Last, she recommended the use of mothballs or leaving a radio on as possible deterents, as well as banging on pots and pans if a coyote is actually present.

Coyotes were seen in the same area in February. Just this past weekend a six-year-old was attacked by a coyote in Rye, New York.

Residents Bemoan Exclusion in MSU Expansion Plans; OPRA Request Denied

Tuesday, Jun 29, 2010 2:30pm  |  COMMENTS (2)

newdorm.jpgBetween the increase in rat population, excess noise, felled trees, endangered wetlands, $4 million in lost property taxes, increased population (let alone the sewage issue) residents of Montclair and Little Falls have a lot of mounting gripes with the ongoing construction of Montclair State’s new student dormitories. With the intention of clearing the air with its neighbors, MSU officials scheduled a community forum for last Monday, June 21.

Continue Reading

Complicated Portrait Emerges of Montclair’s Alleged Russian Spy, Cynthia Murphy

Tuesday, Jun 29, 2010 11:45am  |  COMMENTS (27)

cynthiamurphy2.jpgThe Cynthia Murphy neighbors thought they knew was a mom of two young girls who loved to garden and made sure to water her plants. Richard Murphy was the dad at the bus stop. The couple even had dogs and owned a Honda. They were unremarkable in many ways and that was the point. According to FBI documents, everything the Murphys, who were arrested Sunday in Montclair for being alleged Russian secret agents, did was in response to this directive.

You were sent to USA for long-term service trip. Your education, bank accounts, car, house etc. — all these serve one goal: fulfill your main mission, i.e. to search and develop ties in policymaking circles in US and send intels (intelligence reports) to C[enter].

A smiling Cynthia (pictured) comes across in FBI documents as taking a more active, even authoritarian role in the relationship. In 2004, she advised Richard as to how he could effectively gather information in the U.S. for provision to Moscow Center. She allegedly used contacts she had met in New York to convey information to the Center about prospects for a global gold market. FBI documents indicate that the couple were cautious about seeking employment in the U.S. government, fearing their “legends” weren’t strong enough to withstand a background check.

Continue Reading

Featured Comment

I was very glad to see this post. The running in the street around here drives me crazy, mostly because the the majority of the runners I've encountered (not every runner)seem to think that it's their right to take up half the street when what they are doing is in fact illegal. And let's not be silly. Yes, concrete is hard on the joints, but the pavement isn't that much better. It's not like the roads are made of track rubber.
Posted by
sadie07

Tip, Follow, Friend, Subscribe

Links & Information

Baristanet on Flickr

Browse all photos...