2nd Ward Candidate Deleted from Campaign

Question: What's missing from this Democratic billboard on Broad St?
Answer: NIck Joanow, the Democratic candidate who overwhelmingly won his primary to qualify for LIne A on his party's ticket.

The bottom line according to Democratic District Rep, Pat Gilleran:

"Bloomfield environmental Town Councilor Nick Joanow is not being supported by the Bloomfield Democratic County Committee. Rumor has it that Bloomfield's Mayor Ray Mccarthy has been campaigning for the Republican candidate, Kent Weisert."

Pat has made her case in an open letter to Essex County Democratic Chairman PhilipThigpen,

I would like to ask why the Bloomfield Democratic County Committee has been allowed to circumvent their own bylaws and NOT support the re-election of Bloomfield 2nd Ward Democratic Councilman Nick Joanow. Mr. Joanow won the Democratic primary in 2011 and is running on LINE A as a Democrat.

I've attached a photo of the Bloomfield Democratic County Committee sponsored Billboard on Broad Street in Bloomfield where Mr. Joanow is not included and yet Democratic candidates from ALL other wards in Bloomfield are.

I would like an explanation as to why the Bloomfield Democratic County Committee is being run as a social club and not as a true Democratic organization. I am a duly elected District leader who has not been invited to a meeting in over a year. Others that I know have also not been invited. We were elected by the people of Bloomfield and yet we cannot represent them.

Pat Gilleran
Bloomfield Democratic County Committee Ward 2 District 2 Representative

Cell Tower Proposal Withdrawn

T-Mobile 's attorney has notified the Bloomfield Zoning Board that they have withdrawn their application without prejudice. Here is the letter submitted to the Bloomfield Zoning Board:
Re: T-Mobile Northeast LLC, variance application, 551 Broad St.

Dear Chairman and Board members:

I have been authorized by T-Mobile to advise you that the Applicant desires to withdraw
this case, without prejudice. Obviously, this will render the October 20, 2011 hearing
date moot.

On behalf of T-Mobile, I would like to thank the Board as well as its staff and
professionals for their attention and consideration of this application.

Very truly yours,

James K. Pryor

The Bloomfield Zoning Board will still hold a special public meeting on Thursday October 20, 2011 at 7:00pm Bloomfield Town Hall - 2nd Floor to discuss the cell tower.

Bloomfield's School Garden

From the glass slide collection of Bloomfield resident, David Petillo (c.1914). Much of his collection can be viewed online at http://www.bloomfieldhistorical.org/ Click on photo to enlarge.

Solar Comes to Bloomfield

(Newark, NJ) – As part of its Solar 4 All™ program, PSE&G is installing pole-attached solar energy units in the more than 300 municipalities in its electric service territory. When the project is complete in late 2012, the pole-attached solar units will provide 40-megawatts of solar electricity – enough to power about 6,500 average size New Jersey homes annually. Solar unit installations started in 2009 and to date approximately 109,000 units are installed, operating and producing clean energy from the sun.

Beginning in mid- to late- October, PSE&G contractors will begin installing pole-attached solar units in Bloomfield. They will be placed on utility poles that offer a clear exposure to the southern sky, access to the proper voltage electric wires and where installation does not interfere with existing equipment on the pole. Not all utility poles will receive a solar unit since only those that meet these three criteria are eligible. The panels are approximately 2 ½ feet high by 5 feet wide and will be installed about 15 feet off the ground.

“These solar units bring the direct benefit of clean, renewable energy to all our customers since the electricity they generate is used in homes and businesses in the immediate neighborhood,” said Al Matos, vice president for renewables and energy solutions for PSE&G. “We would need 170 acres of land to place 40 megawatts worth of traditional solar farms. By utilizing these utility poles, we take up zero land space, which is a great way to install a large amount of solar capacity in a crowded state like New Jersey while making solar available to all.”

PSE&G estimates that when the full 40 megawatts of pole attached solar units are installed, they will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air by 31 metric tons per year, the amount of nitrous oxide (NOx) by 58 metric tons per year, and the amount of sulfur oxide (SOx) by 135 metric tons per year. This is the same as removing about 3,800 cars from the road for one year.

Discussion With Police Chief now Online

The full 90 minute Q & A with Bloomfield's new Police Chief, Christopher Goul, is now available on the WBMA-TV website. It can be found in the Community events section. Downtown Business Alliance manage Doreen Sarcone is pictured above. At left is Piano's Manager, William Rutan, and Planning Board member Susana Sotillo. The September event was organized by the Bloomfield Neighborhood Association Committee. The BNAC's next event will be their Candidate's Forum at Bloomfield College on October 27th.

Blessing of the Animals to Benefit Bloomfield Shelter

Shelter Volunteer Karen Banda reports that "the pastor has very generously offered to donate all money collected at the service to the Bloomfield/Bukowski Animal Shelter. We are extremely grateful. Volunteers and some shelter animals will be present to receive the blessing which we hope will be carried back to the rest of our shelter critters."
(Click on poster to enlarge)
Two other animal blessing events are taking place in Mpntclair and Nutley this weekend.

Belleville residents blame Bloomfield businesses for flooding

From Bloomfield Life:

While the mayor and council argued they have no say over Bloomfield businesses(Glendale Cemetery and Forest Hill golf course), Hinton insisted that the cemetery's land closest the river is technically Belleville. Mayor Ray Kimble subsequently agreed to send Belleville code employees to Bloomfield, to issue violation notices.

Clark's Pond

Harvest Fest

The fun continues at the 19th Annual Bloomfield Harvest Fest on Sunday 11 AM - 6PM..
Yhe Entertainment schedule can be found here.

What's New on Bloomfield Ave?

It wasn't the traffic accident on Wednesday that temporarily blocked drivers in both directions. (A westbound car had crashed into
the front yard of a Glen Ridge Resident on the corner of Clark St.) It wasn't the scratch and sniff look to one of Bloomfield's finest police cars. Your're correct if you noticed the new banners for Bloomfield's 2012 Bicentennial festivities. Bloomfield history buffs can make the case for a Bloomfield Tricentenial as well.

Bloomfield College

Those Little Red Schoolroom Containers

To deal with overcrowding at Franklin School this year, the Bloomfield school district has brought in three trailers to serve as temporary classrooms, each with a 30-student capacity. Even with a fresh coat of red paint, the windowless cubicles still look more like industrial containers than school rooms.

Police Chief Chris Goul to Speak to Bloomfield Residents Saturday

Bloomfield Township Police Chief Christopher Goul will be the guest speaker.at Saturday's 10am meeting of Bloomfield's Neighborhood Association Committee. Goul was confirmed by the Town Council in January.

The meeting format is usually a brief overview by the guest then questions from residents.It will take place in The Mayor's conference room in the second floor of the Police Building at the corner of Montgomery and Franklin streets,

The BNAC is a loosely organized grassroots network of Bloomfield residents which meets bi-monthly to share interests, concerns and events. Anyone can attend meetings. The BNAC sponsors candidate forums and periodically invites local leaders to meet with residents.

T-Mobile Still Undecided on Cell Tower Plan, But ZB May Force the Issue on Thursday

The attorney for T-Mobile, James Pryor, has again requested the Bloomfield Zoning Board carry T-Mobile’s application to build a 120-foot monopole on the corner of Broad Street and Bay Avenue for “one last time.”
In a letter to the board dated September 9, 2011, Pryor stated that T-Mobile is “still evaluating this site based on current circumstances,” and requested that the Board schedule a special meeting to address the application on either October 13 or October 20, 2011, as the regular Zoning Board meeting agenda on October 6 is already full. Applicants requesting a special meeting of the board are required to pay for the expense of the additional meeting.
T-Mobile will provide legal notice for whichever date is selected, and the applicant will be prepared to either provide testimony at the meeting or request dismissal of the application at that time. The letter also waived the time constraint on the board to act on the application to October 31.

However the leader of the neighborhood residents opposed to the tower spoke with the secretary of the Bloomfield Zoning Board to confirm the Baristanet report. She reaffirmed that that T-Mobile is required to appear this Thursday September 15, 2011 at 7:30pm Bloomfield Town Hall to let the Zoning Board know whether they choose to proceed with the application.

Tuesday 5:PM Update:
Bloomfield Zoning Board Attorney confirms that that Mr. Pryor, attorney for T-Mobile will not be at this meeting and that the letter sent to the Zoning Board on September 9 will be read into record. For a copy of this letter please email: nobroadbaycelltower@gmail.com The zoning board is voting this Thursday to either accept T-Mobile's adjournment or not.

.

The Doggon Biggest Pooch Parade in Brookdale

United Against Puppy Mills (UAPM) held a Puppy Mill Awareness Concert, Sound for the Hounds, in Brookdale Park today. This event was geared toward raising awareness about puppy mills and enlightening the public about how to put an end to the industry.

Along with many prominent jazz performances, the event also featured a Dog Look-a-Like Contest, sponsored by Rescue Ink; rescue groups representing many different dogs breeds; vendors; and much interbreed networking.

Foley Field Reopens

First game on the new astroturf....Bloomfield 42 - Belleville 7...Go Bengals!! A video clip can be seen here.
Bloomfield's Fitness Guru, Steve Crooks, wrote up his impressions of the event for his forthcoming blog:

This is what it looked like and felt like to me...
Like they say, "If you build it, they will come." Boy, those Friday-night lights were outstanding, weren't they? There could not have been a more perfect game to open not only the season, but the whole new era of Foley Field. I mean, it sounded like a great game; but to be honest, from where I was standing I couldn't actually see much of the action. And besides, there was as much action, energy and excitement in the crowd as there was on the field. It was everything vibrant and vital about a town like Bloomfield, people of all ages and shapes and sizes and walks of life. Kids big and small, engaging in that kind of life-celebration that, I'm sorry, but an I-Phone or a video game or texting your BFF just can't provide. Older folks with that look on their faces you only see in churches or movie theaters sometimes, as if something has been born and reborn, right in front of their eyes; something they never really believed they'd see again.

And more than that, there was a clear and visible lesson for our times: do the best with what you've got. Use a table for a ticket booth; use a tent for concessions. And the stands? Well, there'll certainly be more than just rented aluminum bleachers in Foley's future, but hey, as a fitness professional, I think people sit too darned much anyway. And to be honest, without any real stands to plant themselves in, there was a lot more mingling and neighbor-to-neighbor socializing going on.

Galvanized like a thrilling human chain of community, in the bleachers, against the fence (where my son and I first tied our red ribbons on a rainy Sunday morning a couple of March's ago), out along the ticket line, through the local blocks and parking lots, and iron-straight all the way up the column of Broad Street traffic; it was everything I could've imagined from the time I started imagining the revitalized Foley Field at all, how it would bring together and anchor all the diverse districts and neighborhoods and citizens of our fascinating town. (My 'social barometer' for the evening? The shopping-cart-collecting kid I spoke to later on that night at the Brookdale Shop-Rite, who said simply, "No one was here!")....

Steve's complete post can now be found on Baristanet.

Welcome to Foreclosuredale

Broad St residents paid scant attention to the home being boarded up a couple of days before the arrival of Hurricane Irene. But when the plywood windows stayed on for days after Irene's departurbanker sign was down, a new reality set in. The cozy corner cape had been for sale for months, but now the Caldwell Banker Realty sign had come down. The unsuccessful Short Sale was now a Foreclosure.

After receiving several complaints, councilman NIck Joanow prodded Bloomfield's Director of Code Enforcement, Glen Dominick to convey the residents' concerns to the mortgage holder.

Dominick took a cautious approach:

" …while it is not what I would like to see I do not recommend we ask the mortgage companies on this location or any other to alter their attempts to secure these structures it create less problems for us and protects the condition of the home to the best it can in order to insure the best possible potential for a sale. The Township potentially will face great numbers of properties being boarded up and as you are aware this national epidemic is not something we can cure on a local level it creates a great burden on our services and this method is one way of greatly reducing our burden. Once I compile a database of the foreclosed properties I can begin to formulate the contact information on the lien holders then I have a plan for the general steps that I will request of the banks in order to secure and maintain properties such as this."

The issue of maintaining property values in the face of an avalanche of impending foreclosures has no easy solutions. Neighborhood awareness is a good start. Just making sure that vacant homes don't attract vandals with accumulated trash or overflowing mail boxes can make a difference.

Plans for a Town Hall meeting on the subject have been put on hold.

This Wednesday, the plywood was taken down.

Brookdale Park

New Rules for Golf Drivers?

If corporations are people, are carts considered pedestrians when they drive across a crosswalk? Just wondering...

Where Bloomfield Gets It's Excess Water [Video]

In Search of the source of my basement pond. Since we're up the hill from Broad St., most of our runoff was donated by Glen Ridge. Shot this late Sunday Morning on Essex Sr..

Irene

Top: Newark at West St.

Center: Watsessing

Bottom: Brookside

A video clip from Brookside can be seen here. Both Brookside and Watsessing were converted from lakes into parks. The 1865 map that shows both can be seen here.

Getting Ready to Welcome Irene

Shoprite


Brookside Park 7:30 pm Friday

The Earth Shakes as Downtown Redevelopment Begins

By coincidence, the first full day after ground breaking for Bloomfield's long delayed had our town shaking from an uncustomarily extensive earthquake, that was broad enough in scope to be felt by many on Broad Street and beyond.

Farmers Market Today in Venner Park

There's still time to make the next to last of the Summer Concerts from 4 to 7 by the fountain. Today you can hear the funky sounds if No Name James and Butterball. On the 26th, the Kootz will rock the "Green Scene" -- all sponsored by the Bloomfield Center Alliance. The market will continue on Thursdays thru October.

Brookside

Brookside

Double Feature at Brookdale Park

Hard to believe that Bloomfield's summer outdoor concert season is just about over. Rick Larrimore's tribute to Rod Stewart was the opening act for Bloomfield's own internationally renowned Infernos. If you missed them tonight, you can catch them in Nutley's Memorial Park on August 25th or on Youtube.

Memorial Park

NIght Out in Bloomfield

Strengthening community spirit and preventing crime and drug use is at the core of the annual National Night Out celebration. The Bloomfield police and fire department were active at many locations from Garner St. (above) to N. 15th St. Bloomfield police officers visited neighborhoods throughout the township and provided balloons, stickers and other give-aways to children. Firefighters also visited the neighborhood parties with firetrucks.

Bloomfield Old and New -- landmark book now accessible online

Thanks to the Historical Society of Bloomfield, you can now freely download the entire Google-scanned copy of the original 1912 publication of Bloomfield, old and new: an historical symposium edited by Joseph Fulford Folsom. You can also read it online without downloading the 200 page work. What's really cool is that the extensive index(sampled above) is hyperlinked, so you can easily locate any page with a reference of interest with the click of your mouse.

End Game Near at Foley Field

Originally built in 1934 as a Depression inspired WPA project, Foley Field's massive major renovation project is finally reaching it's goal line. The renovations were funded by a $2.9 million bond passed in 2010 after a more ambitious bond issue was defeated. Bloomfield High's first football game in the new field is scheduled for September.

A live streaming video of Foley Field’s renovations cab be seen at http://www.bloomfield.k12.nj.us/foley/

Go Jump in the Lake!

Since, Bloomfield is one of the few large NJ towns without a public pool, we've found this beach to be the closest, cheapest($5), cleanest, cheeriest, and less crowded of them all.

Stay Cool!

Temps were at an all time high of 108 degrees in Newark today, so we checked out the Bloomfield Township website to see if there were any contingency plans in effect for power failures or seniors in need of help. In fact, Bloomfield has its page updated thusly:

"Friday, July 22, 2011 EMERGENCY NOTICES:
Due to the predicted amount of snow this winter, we would like to request that all residents move their cars off of the street once the snow starts to fall...."

Thankfully, we are now able to enlist the help of Google to find an NJ.com list of Essex County cooling centers that included our very own  "Civic Center, 84 Broad St., open continuously through 6 p.m. tomorrow."
If you know of anyone without working air conditioners, please let them know about this.

By the way, one of Yoshi Manale's observations at Saturday's Q & A was that our town doesn't have the resources to water its newly planted curbside trees. He suggested that we all assume the responsibility of watering the trees on the strips in front of our homes -- or next door if they look parched. It would be a great project for a neighborhood group to organize.

BNAC Interview with Yoshi Manale (Video Link)

The 90 minute discussion with Bloomfield's Neighborhood Association Committee and the Bloomfield Town Administrator can now be viewed online via this WBMA-TV link. After the meeting, Susanna Sotillo commented: "This was a very informative event. Participants from all three wards were represented and we were given sufficient time to ask questions and express our views. Yoshi provided a lot of useful information. This is democracy in action."

Bloomfield's Underground Streams and Lakes

Baristanet just posted an interesting piece on the historic rivers, streams, and ponds of the Bloomfield and Montclair area. Many new maps and diagrams have been unearthed by local historian Frank Gerard Godlewski as a result of the discovery of forgotten underground streams surrounding Montclair's newly constructed Sienna condo complex. At right is one of the more revealing maps (click on map to enlarge) showing the older streams that flow from Montclair to the former Watsessing Pond. The numerous comments reflect a continuing fascination with the subject in both towns.

New State Aid Targeted for Bloomfield Schools Announced

Bloomfield's Public Schools will see $1.6 million in additional state aid for the 2011-2012 school year. This is a result of revised figures from from the Governor's Office.
(Photo of 1939 BHS archery team courtesy of The Historical Museum of Bloomfield)

According to Bloomfield Life, all non-Abbott school districts are receiving a second aid package, matching February's initial allotment. The exact figure is $1,580,857, raising the Bloomfield schools' state funding total to $18,876,003 for 2011-12.

Adjacent towns are seeing a boost as well. Examples include Nutley ($1.08 million), Belleville ($1.16 million), Montclair ($2.2 million) and Clifton ($2.86 million). And East Orange, a former Abbott District, is receiving over $10 million.\

Relay for Life KIcks Off

Last night was the first organizing session for Bloomfield's Relay For Life at Bloomfield High School's Media Center. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.
Although every Relay For Life is different, there are certain traditions at all Relays, no matter where they are held. These traditions help participants celebrate, remember, and fight back

Yoshi Manale to Speak at BNAC 10 AM Saturday

Bloomfield Township Administrator Yoshi Manale will be the guest speaker. at Saturday's meeting of Bloomfield's Neighborhood Association Committee. Manale was narrowly confirmed by the Town Council in January after the abrupt resignation of the previous Administrator, Fred Carr.

The meeting format is usually a brief overview by the guest then questions from residents.It will take place in The Mayor's conference room in the second floor of the Police Building at the corner of Montgomery and Franklin streets,

The BNAC is a loosely organized grassroots network of Bloomfield residents which meets 6 times a year to share interests, concerns and events. Anyone can attend meetings. The BNAC sponsors candidate forums and periodically invites local leaders to meet with residents.

The Kootz Plays Brookside

It was a hot night on The Third River as The Kootz's smallest fans shook it up during the concert.

Big News Regarding Thursday Cell Tower Meeting

T-Mobile has requested an adjournment to the Zoning Bord hearings
until September 30th 2011 (July/August/September). Essentially it is
an indefinite adjournment. The only reason given is that "T-Mobile is
presently reviewing certain issues related to this application"

What this means is when T-Mobile is ready to come back in front of
the Zoning Board they will have to re-notice everyone again, including
the ad for the newspaper. It will be read in to the record on Thursday
July 16th, either through Mr. Pryor (T-Mobile's attorney) in person,
or a letter will be read in to the record.

At this point we do not know if the Zoning Board will vote to reject
the application on Thursday because of this adjournment.

Stay tuned for updates.

Treffinger Now Leading Bloomfield Prayers

Jim Treffinger grew up in Maplewood and graduated magna cum laude from Seton Hall University in 1972 with a degree in history. . A Fulbright scolar, he earned a J. D. degree from Rutgers School of Law-Newark in 1976.

In 1994, Treffinger became the first Republican County Executive of Essex County in 35 years and was re-elected in 1998. He was a rising star in Republican politics and the favorite to win his party's nomination for a U.S. Senate seat when federal authorities raided his Newark office in 2002. He ultimately admitted he put two campaign staffers on the county payroll and obstructed the federal probe.

After spending time in prison for his crimes, he graduated from seminary and is now one of the pastors at Brookdale Christian Church in Bloomfield.

Bloomfield Map, c.1880

Courtesy of The Historical Society of Bloomfield

Open Gardens comes to Bloomfield

Among seven local hosts for Cornocopia's latest Open Organic Gardens event were two Bloomfielders: Toni Spiotta on Watchung Ave. and Florence Rollino at Wells Ct. Rollino (above) started her own landscaped-designed garden about 10 years ago
and for the past two years has included a 16 x 24-foot
working ‘farm’ within the landscape design. She grows
many, many tomatoes for ‘home-drying’ as well as for
sauce, along with many other veggies and floral displays.
Their next event will be September 17.