The Real Haunted Houses of Baristaville

BY  |  Friday, Oct 28, 2011 9:00am  |  COMMENTS (8)

Aunt Polly's ghost is believed to have haunted this Crane house, from "Reminiscences of Montclair" by S.C.G. Watkins, 1929.

Do you believe in ghosts? Baristaville, rich with historic old homes that have seen their share of notorious murders, bloody suicides and mysterious deaths, is loaded with them.

“When I was growing up, my mother’s friend – who was an expert on local ghosts – used to warn us that our area was ‘deliciously haunted,’” said Montclair history buff Frank Gerard Godlewski.

The only problem is, no one will talk about it.

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The Weekend: Halloween!

BY  |  Thursday, Oct 27, 2011 4:00pm  |  COMMENTS (1)

It’s all about Halloween this weekend. The spooky holiday is on Monday this year, but you can start the festivities tonight. Be sure to check out Barista Kids’ comprehensive Halloween events list here. From Gardens Aglow to Stadium of Screams, there is Halloween fun for all ages. Here are some other Halloween highlights you don’t want to miss:

Halloween makes me think of chocolate, so I think a Chocolate and Cheese Pairing sounds delicious. Continue Reading

Montclair Library Needs You

BY  |  Thursday, Oct 27, 2011 1:30pm  |  COMMENTS (1)

The Montclair Public Library is planning its future and it needs your help. To develop their strategic plan, they’ve been seeking input of library users as well as non-users and have held focus groups and town meetings to hear what folks have to say. Now, the final step in their process — an online survey.

Take a few minutes to complete the survey and help the Library better understand its impact on the community and how to move forward.

And, speaking of surveys, if you haven’t already — take the Baristanet survey, too.

Now’s the Time to Make an Appointment With the Afterworld

BY  |  Thursday, Oct 27, 2011 11:56am  |  COMMENTS (21)

Lee Zyl lays out cards at Montclair Metaphysical & Healing Center

Not all the witches are little girls in costume.  Halloween, in Celtic lore, is a “thin time,” when the veil between the dead and the living is permeable.  It’s a good time to reach out and touch someone beyond, or have your future read.  You have options in Baristaville, but don’t wait too long.    “I’m slammed,” says Gia Al Qamar, a tarot reader in Nutley who works all over Northern New Jersey.  “Everyone’s psychic antennae go up around this time.”    Mystic Spirit Metaphysical Shoppe in Montclair has tarot readers on site, ingredients for spells, and holds workshops and classes.  Montclair Metaphysical & Healing Center is a mediumship and psychic home, where there are weekly seance nights and psychic circles, and classes for psychics and mediums in training.  There’s even an intuitive program for children.

Karen Aistars, one of the owners of Mystic Spirit, calls herself a witch, rather than  a Wiccan.  Wicca, she explains, is more like a religion. But her shop does host Wiccan events and rituals.  On November 2, Maggi Setti will run one for  Samhain.  Samhain is the old Celtic name for Halloween.  The ritual “honors the deceased,” Aistars explains.

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Montclair, PSE&G in Talks on Gray Street Matter

BY  |  Thursday, Oct 27, 2011 10:36am  |  COMMENTS (1)

The Board of Public Utilities in Trenton had said it would issue a decision in seven days in the case Montclair brought to Trenton last week against PSE&G for doing major tree work on Gray Street to erect street utility lines, without notifying the residents or the town. That would have been Tuesday.

But BPU is holding back on a ruling pending a possible resolution between Montclair and PSE&G. Township attorney Ira Karasick says town officials have met twice with the utility since last Tuesday’s hearing. Continue Reading

Got a Beef With NJ Transit?

Thursday, Oct 27, 2011 9:56am  |  COMMENTS (3)

Well man, speak up! Today, in fact, at Penn Station. Executive director James Weinstein will be on hand at Penn Station from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. to listen to commuters. Today’s “We’re Listening” event will take place on the 7th Ave. concourse adjacent to the ticket windows.

If you can’t be there, tell us: What does NJ Transit need to hear from its riders?

Bias Incident at Montclair State’s LGBT

BY  |  Thursday, Oct 27, 2011 8:41am  |  COMMENTS (3)

The Star Ledger is reporting that Montclair State Police are actively searching for someone who left a threatening message under the door of the LGBT Center at Montclair State sometime last week.

The message reportedly said: “You will feel the wrath of Allah/ Your thoughts are immoral/ homosexuality is sin/ Allah says you must pay.” Continue Reading

Have You Seen Rosie the Cat?

BY  |  Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 9:37pm  |  COMMENTS (15)

A reader from Montclair writes:

Our indoor cat, Rosie, escaped Wednesday, October 26, at 1:00 pm from Wilde Place. She is a frisky, active 2-year-old tabby with white coloring in the front from her two front paws to her chin, with the rest of her fur gray-black. She has a distinctive white spot in the middle of her back. Rosie and her sister cat were abandoned in a barn and have a comfortable home in Montclair. Please help us find her.

If you’ve seen Rosie, please contact pets@baristanet.com.

Holly Haunts Montclair Station for Boooristanet

BY  |  Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 4:56pm  |  COMMENTS (6)

Montclair Station is getting spooky, as Haunted Holly, the mistress of
Booristanet, spins her web of Halloween hysteria for this Saturday night. She’s not the only one getting excited. We’ve got goosebumps since learning that Studio 54 star Rollerena will be at our bash.

Besides decorating up a storm (just a tiny sneak peek), Holly is working magic at the bar, whipping up her scary signature cocktails. I’m sure she already has an amazing costume planned (yours could win you one of $1000 in gift certificate prizes to your favorite local restaurants, spas and stores for Best Costume, Best Costumed Duo and Naughtiest Costume). Or you just might win our horror movie trivia contests and door prizes.

The killer birds are taking over (couldn’t you see Holly as Tippi Hedren?), so we’ll be looking for Hitchcock classic thrillers on multiple screens that night. Maybe we’ll dare to have our tarot cards read. Just one problem – I still don’t have a costume!

Montclair Real Estate: Single Family Home With Social Justice History

BY  |  Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 4:00pm  |  COMMENTS (1)

On a mission to buy a really big house? It’s the first time on the market for what has been the home of Comboni Missionaries’ Montclair Mission Center since the 1950s, says Coldwell Banker’s Alan Ash. The property, located at 88 High Street and listed for 850,000, is too big for Comboni’s current needs; they will be downsizing to St. Lucy’s Parish in Newark, says Ash. The listing sheet mentions a possibility for a lot subdivision, but so far, interest in the property has come from individuals who would use the 6,700-square-foot residence as a single family home.

Boasting eight bedrooms and nine baths (7 full, two half) on .97 acre, the Georgian Revival home seems like it would be suitable for a family like Montclair’s “Cheaper by the Dozen” Gilbreth clan. Taxes from listing sheet are $44,067 (combined land and building assessment is $1,749,400), but a new assessment will be determined by the tax assessor, says Ash. Besides space galore, the house is situated with easy access to Nishuane School (where the Gilbreth kids attended) as well as a short hop away from world famous Star Tavern. Take a look inside and then tell us what you would do with this much space: 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.
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sadie07

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