Runners Pass Through Broad and Essex Neighborhoods

Video can be seen on YouTube. Here's the official list of those who finished. Congratulations to all!

Route Changes for Tonight's Sunset Classic Run

The 23rd Running benefits The Bloomfield Education Foundation.

Since the early 1980's, The Sunset Classic has been a calendar favorite in Northern New Jersey road racing, On Thursday night, June 30, come celebrate the 23rd running of The Sunset Classic. Lots of special treats are in store, including our famous collared shirt for 5 Milers and the fabulous food and drink that has always been a staple.
Detailed race info can be found on their website. Road closure info can be downloaded here.

Pace of Liongate Remediation Picks Up

Bloomfield College -- 1909 Edition

Courtesy of The Historical Society of Bloomfield

Emergency Meeting on Budget Scheduled and Cancelled

Bloomfield's Residential Rehabilitation Program

Do you own a home in Bloomfield that needs repairs? Could you use help paying for it?
Bloomfield Township's Residential Rehabilitation Program may be able to assist you!

The Residential Rehabilitation Program is funded through the Community Development Block Grant Program. It provides Forgivable Loans to low and moderate income homeowners occupying 1, 2 or 3 family homes in Bloomfield and a handfull of other towns in the region.

What are the funding terms? The funds are provided as a ten year forgivable loan up to $15,000 for the homeowner's dwelling and up to $10,000 for rental units. There is NO monthly payments and NO interest. The loan comes in the form of a lien which is removed and forgiven after the ten year period. If the property is sold or ownership transferred within the 10 year period, then the lien must be paid off in the amount borrowed. Any rental units that are improved by the Program must be rented at affordable rents to low and moderate income families for the 10 year period.

We actually applied for assistance from the CGPH a few years ago and were able to make major repairs and electrical upgrades that we had been putting off for years.

Who is eligible? Owners in Bloomfield, whose property taxes are paid current and who meet the program income guidelines.

For All Your Propane Needs

Unofficial Exhibits Share Stage at Zoning Board Hearing on Cell Tower Proposal

It will be at least two more months until the residents can formally present their case in opposition to T-Mobile's proposed cell tower, but photographic evidence of the Broad and Bay site's problems was posted around the meeting room.

Brookside

Taken nearly 3 hours after flood stage.

Cell Tower Meeting Scheduled Tonight

Tonight, Thursday, June 16th, is yet another hearing by the Bloomfield Zoning Board at 7:30 PM in the Bloomfield Municipal Building, At least two more meetings will be necessary to decide whether the Township of Bloomfield will grant a zoning variance to allow the building of 120 foot cell tower, "disguised" as a flagpole in our neighborhood. You can get involved with the raised by the proposed tower on this Facebook page.

Brookdale Park

Rash of Restaurant Burglaries on Broad St.

From Bloomfield's Police Department's Crime blotter:

The owner of Stamna Greek Taverna of Broad Street reported $3,800 as stolen from a cash register June 5. The back door was found forced open.

A manager at Shiki Wok of Broad Street reported $150 as missing from a cash register when the business opened for the day June 5. The front door was found unlocked.

The owner of Boonsong Thai Cuisine of Broad Street reported an unknown individual kicking in the back door to the restaurant June 5. No money was taken.

Bloomfield's Biggest Crack?

Step on a crack, break your mothers back! (Click on photo to enlarge)
Noticed this recently on Baldwin PL. near Newark Ave. The familiar proverb may actually have started as far back as here.

A New Look for Council Comments

Last night's Town Council meeting is worth checking out for several reasons: an extended update on Megan's Law by Christine Fay of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. Fay noted that 10 registered sex offenders are currently registered in Bloomfield. Details of the locations of all "Tier 3" offenders can be accessed from the NJ State Police Internet registry for sex offenders at http://www.state.nj.us/njsp/info/reg_sexoffend.html.

Because of the length of Fay's presentation, the podium was moved so that she could face the the audience -- and the TV camera, so viewers of WBMA-TV were able to see the faces of all speakers at the podium for the first time. Not sure who should get credit for this move, but it's amazing that no one suggested it before now. Time will tell if this encourages or discourages residents to speak out at the future meetings. About 58 minutes into the meeting, Councilman Nick Joanow suggested that the Council make the new podium setup permanent when he was inexplicably gavelled down by the mayor who snapped: "We don't need that conversation -- allright we'll leave it there!." We had to wonder of this was an expression of lingering bitterness over Joanow's trouncing of his handpicked challenger the day before.

The town engineer gave a lucid explanation to former councilman Gary iacobacci (pictured) on how 2 specific Change Orders were evaluated.

Township officials reviewed a budget amendment that would have increased total appropriations and revenue from $69.9 million to $70 million. The vote was 3 to 3 on its adoption so the motion was tabled. Councilman Michael Venezia was not present at the meeting.

First Night for Cruise Night

Throughout most of the summer, Wednesday NIghts are Cruise Nights in downtown Bloomfield. Sponsored by the Downtown Alliance, Cruise nights go from 6 to 9PM on Broad Street near Bloomfield Avenue.

Nick Joanow's Record

Vote!

A Pay to Play Money Tree Grows In Bloomfield

Despite the recent adoption of stricter Pay to Pay laws, the Line A Democratic Primary campaign to elect Carlos Bernard and Paul Halligan has been largely funded for by well-connected out of town special interests who are counting on their candidates to approve lucrative contracts paid for by taxpayer dollars.

A quick glance thru the reports filed by the Bernard and Halligan campaigns with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission reveals thousands of dollars in special interest money both candidates have accepted from out of town vendors. Only amounts in excess of $300 are required to be identified. As late as May 31, nearly all of Halligan's largest donations are from out of town interests.

The sample above (Click on picture to enlarge) shows a $2,500 donation from Richard A. Alaimo Engineering Associates in Mount Holly. This happens to be the same company that contributed $5,000 to the Bloomfield Democratic Committee during our Mayor's re-election campaign last October. While this is all currently legal, It's not hard to guess why a South Jersey Business would have such a longstanding interest in Bloomfield politics.

The irony in this is that Nick Joanow has been leading the fight to get the Council to pass a stronger ethics ordinance that would put teeth in the NJ State Law as it apples to local politicians and employees. The Mayor has been dragging his feet on a vote on NIck's April proposal. This may have been another factor in the local party's attempt to prevent his re-election.
town
Update: The 2006 :pay to play" ordinance was rescinded in 2009 on the advice of the Bloomfield Town Attorney who suggested that was redundant and unnecessary in view of the newer NJ state law. Again, these donations are still legal, but it's hard to find much that made illegal in the NJ State legislation,

The Purr-fect Yard Sale

HUGE Yard Sale Sat and Sun June 4 & 5 to benefit A Purrfect World Cat Sanctuary. Sale will be held at 60 Newark Ave, Bloomfield, corner of Baldwin Place (entrance is the driveway on Baldwin). 9 to 5. Rain or Shine. Last year we had over 30 tables of merchandise, lots of clothes racks and bookcases and ground tarps full of stuff. Donations from over 100 families. We do have vintage jewelry and and Asian (Thai) art works. I bought a Krupps Coffeemaker for $3 and a mini Cuisinart for $! (both barely used) and a book of stories called: "You can Read to Your Cat." Come buy a treasure and help save a kitty. Hope to see you there.

Bloomfield Home Values Show Slight Increase

Trulia is reporting that the median sales price for homes in Bloomfield NJ for Feb 11 to Apr 11 was $258,000. Bucking up against the national downward trend, this represents an increase of 1.3%, or $3,250, compared to the prior quarter and a decrease of 4.4% compared to the prior year. Sales prices have depreciated 29.2% over the last 5 years in Bloomfield. (click on graphic to enlarge) The average listing price for Bloomfield homes for sale on Trulia was $282,758 for the week ending May 23, which represents a decline of 1.2%, or $3,384, compared to the prior week and a decline of 1.1%, or $3,288, compared to the week ending May 02.

Bloomfield Primary Candidates Forum Now Online

Suppose they gave a Candidates Forum in Bloomfield and no one filmed it?

The Bloomfield WBMA TV crew was unable to videotape at Bloomfield College because their studio is currently shut down due to asbestos contamination. An audio tape of the Candidates Forum has now been posted on WBMA's website and is well worth listening to - both for it's barbs and insights into what the candidates feel is important. I was honored to be able to supply the photos that WBMA Director Bob Duthaler skillfully edited into the tape by syncing them up to each speaker's comments.

This primary election has become an intra-party duel between independent incumbent Democrats (Joanow and Ruane) vs the Democratic Machine (Halligan & Bernard).

http://www.facebook.com/l/23ea4/origin.peg.tv/pegtv_player?id=T00304&video=21995"

Memorial Day in Bloomfield

Saluting those who sacrificed their lives to keep us free.

Candidates' Forum for Dems

The forum, sponsored by the Bloomfield Neighborhood Association Committee, had about 70 residents in attendance. It was moderated by Michelle Bobrow from the League of Women Voters of New Jersey.
There were spirited mini debates between 2nd Ward challenger Paul Halligan and Incumbent Nick Joanow. Halligan positioned himself as an anti-tax candidate while Joanow emphasized his 24/7 accessibility to residents. Many of Incumbent Robert Ruane's comments appeared to be directed less to his young challenger, Carlos Bernard, than to Mayor Ray McCarthy, who sat in the middle of a sea of empty seats next to Councilman Bernard Hamilton.

The only heckling during the forum came after Ruane delivered a blistering attack on several of McCarthy's policies. "Well read!" was the Mayor's loud retort.

The last 45 minutes of the Forum was devoted to questions from a long line of attendees (photo at left). Time limitations prevented several residents from getting their question asked. Unlike most recent such forums in Bloomfield, there was no local TV coverage available. A brief video clip can be found on YouTube.

Candidate's Forum for Bloomfield Council Primary

Where --:Van Fossan Theater, Bloomfield College,
Corner of Fremont and Franklin, Bloomfield, NJ

When -- Thursday May 26, 7 - 9 PM

Who -- Incumbent Councilman Nick Joanow and Paul Halligan are vying for the 2nd ward council seat; incumbent Robert Ruane and Carlos Bernard are vying for the 3rd ward seat in the Democratic Primary. Questions from residents encouraged.

Sponsored by the Bloomfield Neighborhood Association Committee

Welcome to Glenwood Village in Bloomfield

At it's Thursday meeting, Bloomfield's Planning Board unanimously approved the Glenwood Village redevelopment project. To be located opposite the Lackawanna Place train station, the development will be comprised of 224 residential and retail units, and a 440 space multi-level parking garage. About 20% of the added 50,000 square feet of retail space is slated for several new restaurants.

Sunday in Bloomfield

"Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in."
-- Alan Alda,

Artifacts Recovered from WigWam Brook

Councilman Nick Joanow assisted the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission's River Restoration Division, last week, in removing the larger pieces of accumulated debris from a section of WigWam Brook (near the Dog Run.) which flows through Watsessing Park. Objects like this bike required a heavy duty winch operated by the PVSC.(video link)

The cleanup was requested by the Bloomfield Open Space Trust Fund Committee, the Watsessing Park Conservancy and the Watsessing Heights Neighborhood Association. It was completed less than two weeks after 100 residents began the annual cleanup.

Watchung Bridge

It's still open most weekends. One lane each way.

Bloomfield's Master Plan

Bloomfield's current master plan is a masterfully done vision of how a town can accomodate continual growth and still respect it;s parks and open spaces. It was finalized about five years ago before the towns's current ambitious downtown redevelopment plans were approved. The Plan mapped Bloomfield from many different perspectives. The overall Land Use Map pictured here depicts zoning. It's interesting to note which neighborhoods multi-family homes are still permitted.(CLIck on map to enlarge) The entre plan can be studied at Bloomfield's Library pr downloaded from the township website.

The Town Paints

On Saturday, "The Town Paints" celebrated the 60th anniversary of art on Bloomfield's Town Green by inviting residents and families to bring their own works of art in all media for display. The one day exhibit was sponsored by Bloomfield's Art League and the Bloomfield Recreation Department.Awards were given to all age groups. In bottom photo, three member of The Porter Family are pictured showing off their framed paintings.

Bloomfield Developer In Morristown Trial -- Could Oakes Plan Crumble?

We were planning to get away from the temptation of speculating on Bloomfield politiical issues, but today's Ben Horowitz at the Star Ledger has a breaking story that could undermine Bloomfield's largest new residential development in years.

Zygmunt "Zygi" Wilf, the owner of the Minnesota Vikings, owns the company whose "Oakes Pond"plans were recently approved for converting the warehouse/office complex at 225 Belleville Ave.(photo at right) into 300 luxury condos and apartments.

Unresolved questions include what did those council members know about Wilf and when did they know it? The civil case against Welf has been 19 years in the making and may not reach a verdict until fall. Could a guilty verdict cause the council to revisit its vote? Why give one of the wealthiest men in NJ a 30 year tax abatement? Will this be an issue in the Bloomfield's Democratic primary or the November election?

Emergency Budget Meeting today.

No time was mentioned at Monday's Conference Meeting. Nothing on township website to confirm location or time. Only 4 of the 7 Council members will probably be able to attend because of conflicts with their day job. A bare quorum. We suspect the fire department will be well represented as they were at the last few meetings.

New Era at Board of Ed

Tuesday's Bloomfield Board of Education meeting made history on several fronts. The seismic shift in control after April's election sweep led to the election of a new President, Mary Shaughnessy. (Click on photos to enlarge) In her opening remarks, Shaughnessy promised "to make this the best and most high functioning Board that Bloomfield has ever had."
Perhaps sensing a change in the receptiveness of the new BOE majority, John Shanagher, the head of the teachers union(at right), mobilized a record number of teachers and students to bolster his case. The room overflowed with attendees attentively soaking up every word. Another hundred or so stood in the halls picking up the highlights in a quiet relay of whispers.
A disappointing element was the lack of customary TV Coverage for the most dramatic early part of the meeting. I shot a few clips, which will be posted on Youtube ASAP. Until then, check out the sample below..

Caputo Moving to Bloomfield?

Despite an earlier announcement of a move to Nutley, todays Star Ledger is breaking news that State Assemblyman Ralph Caputo is planning to move from his native Belleville to Bloomfield. While hIs new address is yet to be confirmed, the chess game of musical chairs behind the move was deconstructed by "THe Auditor" on SL's political blog. Some of the following is pure speculation, but it would make a great who-done-it -- and a suitable addition to our towns reputation for political theater.

Pay attention closely, because this is a case of lawmaker dominoes, where one falling piece pushes the other.
The new legislative district map put three incumbent Assembly members into one district: Coutinho, Ralph Caputo (D-Essex) and Grace Spencer (D-Essex).
The Auditor is told DiVincenzo first hoped Caputo would give up his Assembly seat and run for reelection as a freeholder, solving everything. But Caputo wanted to do the opposite, and planned to move from his hometown of Belleville so he could run in a district that resembled his old one.
That, however, would put him in competition with brand-new Assemblyman Kevin Ryan (D-Essex), widely viewed as a placeholder for when DiVincenzo’s son, Joseph G. DiVincenzo, runs one day.
So DiVincenzo’s next step was to try to get Caputo to run in his new district — in place of Coutinho. But Essex County Democratic Chairman Phil Thigpen objected.

Ultimately, Ryan stepped aside, Caputo moved to Bloomfield to run for his seat, and Coutinho got to keep his Assembly seat.

Wildlife LIving it up in Bloomfield

It ain't easy being a wildlife photographer in North Jersey. Especially if you live in Bloomfield and only focus on what passes by your back deck. Pat Ciesla shows us a few of the fauna that a dedicated amateur can capture-- without leaving her condo off Liongate Drive(she admits to following the hawk a block or so down the road.). Pat's other passion is documenting new additions to the Bukowski Animal Shelter, and then helping to find them good homes. (Click on smaller photos for larger image)

This happens to be part of the tract that The Bloomfield Third RiverBank Association was fighting to preserve against two developers' plans to build upwards of 150 townhouses.