Bloomfield Council Stalled on Open Space Change

BY  |  Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 11:11am  |  COMMENTS (1)

The Bloomfield Council failed to pass an amendment to the township’s Open Space Trust Fund at last night’s council meeting, with the vote tied 3-3.

The amendment would have allowed the township to use funds from the Open Space Trust Fund for maintenance of town parks and historical sites within the township, in addition to the acquisition and maintenance of new property for open space. The amendment to the ordinance would set aside $265,000 per year to be used for maintenance of public parks. The establishment of the Open Space Trust Fund was approved by public referendum in 2001, and currently holds approximately $1.9 million. Continue Reading

Bloomfield Crime: Shoplifter Threatens Home Depot Guard With Knife

BY  |  Tuesday, Feb 07, 2012 10:19am  |  COMMENTS (1)

Just in from the Bloomfield Police, last week in crime in 07003:

ROBBERY

2-6-2012 60 Orange Stree [Home Depot]. At 0755 hours, a suspect threatened a security guard with a knife as he was fleeing the store with stolen merchandise.

2-06-2012 Washington street at Lackawanna Plaza. At 2235 hours, the victim stated that he was approached and surrounded by three male suspects, one of which demanded his cell phone. Two of the suspects were apprehended minutes later by patrol officers responding to a 9-1-1 call from the victim. Continue Reading

Coming March 4-10: Bloomfield Restaurant Week

BY  |  Monday, Feb 06, 2012 11:00am  |  COMMENTS (4)

Bloomfield restaurants are getting together to pull off their first restaurant week March 4-10. Here’s your chance to sample some great restaurants at discount prices, including the upscale Orange Squirrel ($35 dinner) and Mes Reves ($30 dinner), old favorites like Senoritas ($30 dinner) and Stamna ($30 dinner). Or you can just gobble up Thai and Filipino offerings all week. And somehow Fitzgerald 1928 of Glen Ridge ($28 dinner) sneaked in. Read about all the current participants, and their restaurant week offers, here. Baristanet is proud to be the media sponsor of the event. See a slideshow of current participants after the jump and tell us which Bloomfield restaurant you love most.

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Bukowski Shelter to Hold Valentine’s Day-inspired Adoption Event

BY  |  Friday, Feb 03, 2012 1:10pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

The John A. Bukowski Shelter for Animals in Bloomfield will hold a Valentine’s Day-inspired Adoption Event that will include reduced adoption fees of $25 for all animals. The event begins this Saturday, February 4, and will run through Sunday, February 19. There will also be an open house on Saturday, February 11, and Sunday, February 12, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Shelter employees and volunteers socialize the animals in residence and help potential adopters find the perfect companion for their families. In addition, a volunteer dog trainer works closely with the adoption committee to assist with proper placement of the dogs that are available for adoption. Adoptions for both cats and dogs include spay/neuter, vaccinations, and a comprehensive medical evaluation.

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The Weekend

BY  |  Thursday, Feb 02, 2012 3:30pm  |  COMMENTS (3)

This has been a strange winter. It’s been warm, practically snow-free and it’s going so fast. It’s already February! Usually winter makes me want to hibernate, but with temps this warm, I’m going out much more often. Here are some ways you can get out this weekend.

The world premiere of Reparation by Gino Dilorio at Luna Stage happens next weekend on February 9, but you can get a sneak peak of the play about an “investment banker who has made a career by playing the race card finding himself out of options and out of friends” tonight, February 2, at the West Orange Public Library. Tony nominated actor Frankie Faison will perform a scene from Reparation followed by a discussion, led by Luna’s artistic director Jane Mandel,  with the playwright Gino Dilorio. It’s all part of WOPL’s Black History Month of sceduled events.

Scene from “Reparation” and Discussion
Thursday, February 2 at 7 pm
West Orange Public Library, 46 mount Pleasant Avenue, West Orange, NJ
Free. Advance registration is required. Sign up online or by calling 973.736.0198

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Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Bloomfield Edition

BY  |  Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012 2:25pm  |  COMMENTS (6)

Sure, it’s brave to go on a national quiz show and risk humiliation in front of a national television audience. You know what’s even braver? Inviting your colleagues, landlord and friends to the Town Pub to watch the show over pizza, even when you know how it’s going to turn out. Which is exactly what happened today, when Gsell’s episode aired at lunchtime. At the end his round, taped in the fall, he walked away with $1,000 — and several very nice mentions of his Field Station: Dinosaurs theme park, scheduled to open in May, by game show host Meredith Vieira. Continue Reading

R.I.P. Kate Ryan McGuire

BY  |  Monday, Jan 30, 2012 12:00pm  |  COMMENTS (3)

Saturday at the Union Congregational Church in Montclair, more than 300 people gathered to celebrate the life of Montclair singer Kate Ryan McGuire, who passed away on Jan. 19. Born and raised in Bloomfield, McGuire moved to Montclair after college in 1973, and married musician Andrew McGuire in 1982. The memorial service was highlighted by a performance by the Flemtones, of which Kate was a founding member. Her husband  Andy, one of the lead guitarists of the band, struck up the band and played all of Kate’s favorite tunes. Many members of the Tierney’s Open Mic scene also paid their respects in song.

Read more of Kate’s obituary here.

Property Taxes Up 20 Percent Under Christie

BY  |  Monday, Jan 30, 2012 8:30am  |  COMMENTS (36)

Property taxes are eating up a larger share of family income under Gov. Chris Christie than under previous governors, primarily due to a sharp reduction in direct property tax relief over the past two years. In fact, net property taxes are 20 percent higher under Christie than they were when Democrat Jon Corzine left office two years ago.

With property tax credits and rebates included, the average New Jersey homeowner paid $7,519 in net property taxes last year — compared with $6,244 in 2009 — according to statistics released by the state Department of Community Affairs on Friday.

That $1,275 increase represents a 20.4 percent hike in net property taxes — which is the amount of money that the average New Jersey household actually pays in property taxes after property tax rebates or property tax credits are subtracted. Continue Reading

Weather Warning: Strong Winds and Cold Expected

Friday, Jan 27, 2012 3:36pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

The National Weather Service is issuing a weather alert for the area for early this evening, which could result in downed trees and power lines:

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION EARLY THIS EVENING… AND BEHIND IT… A STRONG NORTHWEST FLOW WILL DEVELOP. WINDS WILL RANGE FROM 20 TO 30 MPH WITH 40 TO 45 MPH GUSTS. WINDS SHOULD SUBSIDE TO 10 TO 20 MPH LATE THIS EVENING.

THESE WINDS COULD PRODUCE SOME DOWNED TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES… CAUSING ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES AND LOCALIZED ROAD CLOSURES.

The cold front is part of a larger weather system that is moving across much of the East coast.

Glen Ridge Country Club Seeks Variance

BY  |  Friday, Jan 27, 2012 12:15pm  |  COMMENTS (15)

On Wednesday, the postal service delivered certified letters to residents of Bloomfield and Glen Ridge who live within 200 feet of the Glen Ridge Country Club. The club seeks a zoning variance to build a fifth tennis court, and to omit a solid fence around it. The current statute permits only four courts on private property. The public is invited to the Board of Adjustment meeting on February 9 to voice their opinions of the proposed waiver.

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Featured Comment

When I was a teenager back in the dark ages I thought the most romantic songs were "Don't Worry, Baby" and "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys. But my romantic life back then was more in tune with "Love Stinks" by the J. Geils Band.
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Howard Beale

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