West Orange St. Paddy’s Parade May Get Bigger

BY  |  Friday, Jan 13, 2012 12:23pm  |  COMMENTS (7)

News broke this morning that Hoboken’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is not going forward this year, because parade organizers feel they can’t protect the participants and spectators. Sad as that may be, it could swell the ranks of West Orange’s parade, which plans to celebrate its 61st year on Sunday March 11.

“It’s unfortunate,” said Stephanie Gallo, chairman of the West Orange parade. “We would love to welcome all the participants from Hoboken. Anybody who wishes to participate, we’d love to have them.” Continue Reading

Chris Gethard Gets Revenge for Rutgers

BY  |  Thursday, Dec 22, 2011 9:54am  |  COMMENTS (1)

The rivalry between Rutgers and Princeton is legendary. The first intercollegiate football game ever was Rutgers v. Princeton in 1869. The two schools were engaged in a vicious “Cannon War” less than a decade later. But nothing can top the story of pure class warfare told by West Orange native Chris Gethard on This American Life this past week about his ambush on his Princeton nemesis in 1998, when he was a freshman at Rutgers.

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“The Dangers of Electric Lighting” Previews Start Tonight

BY  |  Thursday, Oct 13, 2011 2:30pm  |  COMMENTS (3)

Ben Clawson is not your average 20-something. Only four years out of college, he has written 50 plays, including full lengths, one acts and shorter pieces. Clawson is a founding member of The StrangeDog Theater Company, a company which has produced many of his plays. His newest piece, “The Dangers of Electric Lighting,” which focuses on the life of Thomas Edison, premieres in previews tonight at Luna Stage in West Orange and runs through November 13.

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Sept. 11, 2011: Ten Years Later

BY  |  Sunday, Sep 11, 2011 8:00am  |  COMMENTS (8)

The camera work is a little shaky, but this video by our new intern, University of Maryland journalism graduate Samantha Link, is powerful nonetheless. In it, former Glen Ridge resident Walter Oliver, now of West Orange, tells of the morning of 9/11, when his daughter Leah perished in the towers, and the days and years that followed.

Today, we honor those who died and also those who survived that fateful day, but lost a friend, a relative, a neighbor or a sense of safety in the world. As the monument in front of the Glen Ridge Train Station says, “We shall never forget our family, friends and neighbors who left with us that morning but did not return with us that night.”

There will be a Moment of Remembrance at 1 p.m. in Montclair today, with bells and silence to commemorate the tragedy. Ceremonies across Baristaville are listed here.

If you haven’t already, read Ian Frasier’s piece in The New Yorker about a retired Decamp bus driver Salvatore Siano, remembering another local victim, Howard Kestenbaum of Montclair, a regular rider on his route.

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World Trade Center Artifact Unveiled at Eagle Rock 9/11 Memorial

BY  |  Tuesday, Sep 06, 2011 2:35pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

Horrified by the events of the day, 10 years ago on September 11, 2001, then president of the Freeholder Board Joseph DiVincenzo made his way to the Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange along with hundreds of fellow area residents. He found himself standing in a crowd of people holding candles, stunned by the tragic events that had unfolded that day. He would later oversee the installation of the official memorial that stands in that location — a large bronze book listing the names of the 57 county residents who lost their lives and a 140-foot granite Wall of Remembrance with the names of all 3,000 people who lost their lives that day. Today, County Executive DiVincenzo saw the project completed, when he, Governor Chris Christie and Port Authority of NY/NJ Deputy Director Bill Baroni unveiled a 7,400 pound steel and concrete artifact from the World Trade Center.

“This totally completes the project,” DiVincenzo said at today’s ceremony. The West Orange memorial was completed before the first anniversary of 9/11. The project cost $1.2 million, which came entirely from corporate donations and donated construction services. The county executive said that no tax dollars were spent on the site. Continue Reading

Ceremonies to Remember 9/11 Begin Today

BY  |  Tuesday, Sep 06, 2011 8:44am  |  COMMENTS (5)

This morning (Tuesday), at 10:30, Chris Christie joins County Executive Joe DiVincenzo at Eagle Rock Reservation to unveil a 7,400-pound steel and concrete artifact from the World Trade Center, which has just been installed at the county’s 9/11 memorial. Tomorrow (Wednesday), at 10 a.m., a new plaque dedicated to EMS first responders will be unveiled at the same spot. And on Sunday, at 8 a.m., the county’s official remembrance will be held at the Eagle Rock Memorial. A string quartet will perform following the ceremony, until 2 p.m., and again from 5 to 9 p.m.

It has been 10 years since the attacks that killed so many neighbors and shocked us all, and this first week of school and the fall season will be filled with solemn ceremonies. Here’s a roundup. Please add any others you know of in comments, and submit to the Baristanet calendar. Continue Reading

The West Orange Butterfly Midwife

BY  |  Monday, Aug 22, 2011 10:30am  |  COMMENTS (7)

Tucked in a quiet West Orange neighborhood, amidst the ranch houses and straight-forward suburban lawns, is the home of butterfly midwife Marcia Schoppik.

From the outside, the only tell tale sign that there’s anything unusual going on in the house, are the beds of Swamp Milkweed growing on the front lawn. Generally thought of as a nuisance garden plant, better left to naturalize in wild places, the Milkweed is the nursery setting for Monarch Butterflies, who lay their eggs on the underside of the plant’s leaves. The plants attract bees — which Schoppik is very afraid of — and also “stink” so badly, that she can’t even go out in her front yard when they’re in bloom. Nonetheless, she welcomes the swamp plants with open arms for the orange and black winged babies they’ve brought her, every year for a decade and a half. Continue Reading

Kelly Rowland: Music and a Wardrobe Malfunction at Club 4sixty6

BY  |  Tuesday, Aug 09, 2011 12:00pm  |  COMMENTS (11)

Singer Kelly Rowland may have given more of a show than she originally intended at West Orange’s 4sixty6 nightclub and lounge early Monday morning. While the fact that she was “in the building,” itself brought wild cheers from the crowd, her exuberant performance got especially memorable when Rowland experienced a wardrobe malfunction, and her sequined bondage top rose, giving the audience an ongoing peek at her breasts.

But Rowland took it in good stride, by continuing to give her fans exactly what they wanted, a great performance.

The club event, hosted by Vegas Style Entertainment and The Hip Event, included an array of Rowland’s hits and new tracks from her third solo album, Here I Am. Rowland’s fans didn’t miss a beat as they sang along to her #1 hits “Dilemma” which features rapper Nelly, and Destiny’s Child #1 single “Solider.”

Rowland took her fans back to 2007 by performing “Like This,” from her second studio album “Ms.Kelly,” then gave the crowd a taste of her new album with the track titled, “I’m Dat Chick.” Saving the best for last, Rowland could not make her exit without performing her #1 single on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts, “Motivation.”.

Now that Rowland, P.Diddy, and Chris Brown have all given live performances at “New Jersey’s Vegas style nightclub,” I’m anxious to see who will be the next headliner at 4sixty6. After all, you never know who — or what — you’ll see there!

Check out our video footage after the jump. Warning, you might see something private…

Have you ever had a high-visibility wardrobe malfunction? How did you deal with it? Continue Reading

Obama Birthday Parties Tonight

BY  |  Wednesday, Aug 03, 2011 4:06pm  |  COMMENTS (79)

Boy, this is making me feel old. A president who is younger than me (Obama turns 50 today) and a Village president who is about the same age as one of my children. Fans of both Obama and South Orange Village President Alex Torpey might want to show up at the “house party” celebrating Obama’s birthday tonight at Bunny’s in South Orange from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Torpey is a special guest. Here’s another Obama birthday bash in West Orange.

NCJW Provides School Supplies for 500 Essex Children

BY  |  Wednesday, Aug 03, 2011 9:00am  |  COMMENTS (1)

The average American family will spend $603.63 on back-to-school expenses in the coming month, and for many — particularly in this economy — properly outfitting a child for the academic year is a hardship, or perhaps even simply impossible.

Enter the National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section (NCJW). On Sunday, July 31, more than 300 volunteers provided school supplies to 500 economically disadvantaged children at its third annual “Back 2 School Store.” Congregation B’nai Shalom in West Orange was set up like a department store, equipped with fitting rooms and even a shoe department with professional fitters. The children “shopped,” one-on-one, with a volunteer personal shopper. Each child spent about an hour handpicking a complete outfit, donated by a charitable foundation, sponsor, or individual donor. Along with a week’s worth of clothing, including outerwear, the children selected a backpack stocked with personal care items and school supplies. Continue Reading

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Perhaps yesterday's heavy police presence would have been better applied to Mission Street than to the Montclair State campus.
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