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.