What's Up With Watsessing?

About two dozen Bloomfield residents got together at the Civic Center, last night, for what was billed as an "evening of brainstorming and strategizing to create a plan for land use, pedestrian mobility, traffic calming and redevelopment" in the area surrounding Watsessing RR Station. They were encouraged to take advantage of a recently awarded $50,000 Smart Future Planning Grant from from the state’s Division of Community Affairs. During the initial brainstorming session,  a consensus developed that new apartment projects should be avoided with a preference for commercial or light manufacturing developments. Ben Morse pointed out that RR tracks that cross Bloomfield avenue near Grove could become an asset:

"I asked about the train line that runs past Hartz Mt, and whether it hooks up with the Newark Port.They are expanding the port, so having a container line going to the port could be attractive. The shale gas boom is for real and will facilitate trade to those areas that have logistic capabilities. Not to export gas but finished products."

Attendees were shown slides of visual options for street layout and building types for residents to select their picks for aesthetic and practical preferences. Some of them seemed like visual "push polling"(would you prefer an intersection with more visible or less visible crosswalks?)


Pictured is one of several breakout sessions where map overlays were used to design a better flow of auto and foot traffic. Town engineer, Paul Lasek (r) monitored their progress.

Psst! It's HarvestFest Time!

You'd hardly know if from our local media, but this is our annual Harvest Fest weekend. Both Bloomfield weeklies ran this ad from the Downtown Alliance. Good old Shoprite incorporated reminders of the festival into its weekly back page ad (we love those coupons). But, curiously, we couldn't find any editorial copy about the Saturday and Sunday events. Not even a press release marking the 20th anniversary year.

Even the official festival website is simply a copy of the Harvest Fest poster with links to websites for several of the musical attractions and the major sponsors. But it's guaranteed to provide some great photo opps for next week's papers.

Among the under-publicized attractions are the nonprofits and community oriented groups. They can usually be found on the south end of the Green.

Bullied

An Open Letter to Bloomfield's Board of Health:

I find it a bit ironic that we happened to be at a Board of Health meeting in the town courtroom, last night.  Karen Lore may have been trying to put Jeff on trial, but in a real sense it's Karen Lore,  F. Michael Fitzpatrick -- and this board -- that are on trial right now.  And the rest of us in that room were the jury -- along with the Town Council.  If you doubt this,  I'd suggest googling "Karen Lore," Bloomfield, or "Board of Health," Bloomfield, and take a look at the "Images" tab.

At your September meeting, you may have set a record for violations of the Open Public Meetings Act. You began by announcing, without justification, that no photography or video would be allowed, and promptly went into an unscheduled closed session before finally allowing comments 55 minutes later. You then announced that a decision had been reached on Memphis that would be announced the next morning.  So we were then allowed to comment on an issue that had already been decided -- except we would be told nothing about the decision. Kafka would be proud!
 Kafkaesque is commonly defined as:
 1. Marked by a senseless, disorienting, often menacing complexity. Kafkaesque bureaucracies

 1. Marked by surreal distortion and often a sense of impending danger.

Your continued unresponsiveness to the worldwide condemnation
of your actions truly fits all these definitions.  You've also dismissed Facebook comments on the subject by saying that many of them are inaccurate belying the fact that Lore's misleading statements and refusal to interact with volunteers about shelter issues -- as well as Memphis -- have sparked thousands of passionate reactions in the social media.

Bloomfield residents and animal lovers from throughout the region have pled Jeff's case to a stonewalling BOH.  Joel argued with a Zoning Board member who called attention to your violations of the Open Public Meetings Act.  Maybe it's time for an "intervention" by Bloomfielders on other volunteer boards.  I know members of virtually all of them who are incredulous at the actions of Lore and the BOH: That includes the BOE, Planning, Zoning, Recycling, Open Space, Downtown Alliance, Oakside, Bicentennial, Watsessing Heights, Halcyon Park, Save Bloomfield Now, Bloomfield Neighborhood Assoc., and Friends of Clarks Pond.

 Like many of them, I literally don't have a dog in this hunt. But I react strongly when I see injustice.  As others have stated about their rescued pets,  the dog I rescued as a teenager, would not have passed Crosby's evaluation.

I e-mailed Lore and Fittzpatrick 5 months ago for a legal justification for your continued unresponsiveness to pertinent questions at BOH meetings and got no response.  I assumed she never read the e-mail until I was confronted by your fundraising chair who angrily referenced other Shelter issues raised in the the email. This occurred in the shelter office in early spring when my wife and I were applying to adopt a cat. Of course, our application was never acknowledged. Instead, we wound up adopting two wonderful cats through PAWS.

 In going over the minutes of several of your meetings and watching the last two in person, one gets the impression that your main function is to rubber stamp every item on Lore's agenda. I've been to a number of other board meetings in Bloomfield, and this appears to be the one with the most unanimity and the least discussion. Please advise me of an issue that provoked a divergence of views or a dissent from Ms. Lore, as I'm still looking for one. Undisputedly, the Health Department has a vital role to play in Bloomfield's continued well being. But your arrogant procedures and practices is dragging our town into international notoriety and threatening the security of its taxpaying residents.

Not only aren't they from this area, Lore and Fitzpatrick may be insulated against lawsuits like this one.  They'll get their hefty paychecks and pensions no matter what.  Bloomfield's taxpayers will pay in the end. That said, I still hope Jeff wins it all.  Maybe HE could take over the shelter and begin repairing Bloomfield's severely tarnished reputation.

Sincerely,

Geoff Gove

Vote Possible on 225 Belleville Plans at Tonight's PB Meeting

From Save Bloomfield Now: The Township of Bloomfield is considering a massive 5 story 332 rental unit at 225 Belleville Avenue (aka Oakes Pond) leaving taxpayers with a 30 year bill of $2.46 million. Approved by Bloomfield’s town council with the developer, Garden Commercial Properties--headed by Minnesota Vikings billionaire owner Zygi Wilf—it is not only a financial negative for the town, it will worsen traffic jams, and stretch a school system already using trailers to house its ballooning school population.

The project is a precedent setting development, and with over 1600 rental units in other proposals across town, Bloomfield faces choices that will impact more than its fiscal health for years to come. It is a picture of poor planning.

Residents have been against the project and their concerns have largely been ignored, except for a demand to generate a fiscal impact study.

The report will be reviewed at the next Planning Board meeting on Tuesday September 18 at 7pm in council chambers at 1 Muncipal Plaza, Bloomfield. The study has galvanized the town’s Board of Education who will appear at (tonight's) meeting to plead its case. Schools near the project are at capacity and the estimated 33 more students that would live in the development create the need for more costly trailers and buses. Also, with 653 more parking spaces, the anticipation for extreme traffic jams at peak hours has been met with heated discussions and no solutions.

The environmental non-remediation aspect to the project is another issue. The developer was grandfathered in to clean the site to 1999 non-residential standards per DEP, instead of more strict residential standards enacted in 2008. With 150 years of industry and toxic waste on the site, the health of future residents could be at risk.
 Save Bloomfield Now is nonpartisan group of Bloomfield residents committed to keeping Bloomfield an affordable town, with a high quality of life and good schools.

Walking for Memphis

A planning meeting for October's Bicentennial bus tour of Bloomfield kept me from joining the 200 participants in today's peaceful walk around Town Hall, The Green, and the downtown area. (Photo at right by Vishous Rhage; click on photos to enlarge.)

Fortunately for those of us who could not be there, an extensive slide show captures the hopeful and peaceful atmosphere (thanks largely to police support to insure their safety at intersections) of the event on the Save Memohis Facebook page. Memphis supporters are expecting another large turnout at Monday's town council meeting, as well as as Thursday's Board of Health meeting -- at a location yet to be disclosed.

 UPDATE: The Bloomfield Patch has just published a terrific group of pictures with their story -- including a picture of a Memphis look-alike parade participant, Dakota," whose adoption was also discouraged by Bloomfield Shelter staff.

Brookdale Stakeout

Le Taqueria, Bloomfield's popular new Mexican Restaurant is being featured on an upcoming edition of Restaurant Stakeout on the Food Network. A large production crew and their trucks took over a good chunk of Broad and Johnson streets.

The "Reality" show has become somewhat controversial for creating story lines for the staff and owners of the some of the featured eateries. One of it's latest episodes put Montclair's renowned Naunas under the spotlight.

New Liongate Developer Blocked by Council

"The latest development in our neighborhood's two-decade long effort to prevent a massive townhouse development on Liongate's flood prone Scientific Glass site is: No Development"

 I wrote the above sentence over 3 1/2 years ago after the previous owner of the 12.7 acre section of Liongate put a For Sale sign on the flood prone property he had bought in 2003 for $3 Million. His asking price at the time was $13 Million.

The current developer bought the property last winter along with its previously approved plans for 104 Condos, for $1.2 Million.

On Monday, Bloomfield's town council stopped the developers plans in their tracks with a 3 to 3 vote. In the past 20+ years, that the property has been a tempting target for several ambitious developers, more 4 legged critters have lived on the site than 2 legged ones. Walking down Liongate Rd. this afternoon, I caught a glimpse of what may have been the same red fox that Pat Ciesla photographed in 2008.

I also saw two well dressed examples of the 2-legged variety, tailgating in front of the padlocked driveway to the site.  Stay tuned....

Coltenback vs. Aloia

Before the public comment portion of last night's council conference meeting, Mayor McCarthy acknowledged the town's latest lawsuit against them and stated they were advised by counsel not to comment on the situation because of the litigation. This caveat did not disuade anyone from stating their arguments for returning Memphis to the care of Jeff and Diana Coltenback, who filed the suit on Friday. The lawsuit is scheduled to be heard early in October in a County Courtroom in Newark.

The mayor waited for comments on all subjects to conclude before inviting Jeff to state his case and briefly explain the basis for his lawsuit agains the township. The details of the suit are yet to be made public, but one of the incidents that motivated the suit was his frustration at discussing the contract issues with it's author,town attorney, Brian Aloia -- who hung up on him. During Jeff's entire presentation, Aloia(above) could be seen staring intently at his Macbook without glancing up for a second to acknowledge Jeff. The Memphis issue goes way beyond just letting the dog out. Aside from the insanity of firing dozens of experienced volunteers and silencing whistle blowers, Bloomfield's unelected attorneys are the ones pulling the strings that have made us a magnet for costly lawsuits.

St. Vals Fest

Sounds For Hounds in Brookdale Park

Music lovers and animal lovers joined forces on Saturday when Sound for the Hounds, a concert/festival sponsored by United Against Puppy Mills returned to Brookdale Park for their second annual fesdtival.

There were dozens of exhibitors from throughout participating in the the day long show including Bloomfield's Bukowski Animal Shelter. Many handed out samples of dog treats to the 4 legged visitors and dog training tips for the two legged ones. The event was devoted to raising awareness about “puppy mills” – large scale breeding operations notorious for putting profits before animal welfare.

The concert climaxed with the The WhiskeyHicken Boys rock band inviting all the attending dogs onto the stage for a doggy "be-in".

Memphis Forum Now Online at WBMA-TV

Thursday's extraordinary "forum" on the current status of Memphis can now be seen in it's entirety online thanks to WBMA-TV.  This may mark the first time Bloomfield's Station has covered a Board of
Health event. Trainer Jim Crosby's assessment of Memphis's prospects for adoption with additional training helped answer many lingering questions that were left hanging during the last Board of Health meeting in August.

The ultimate irony was seeing Michael Fitzpatrick turn the meeting into a fund raising plea to everyone in attendance and watching on WBMA. In other words, he wants us to pay the Board of Health for the consequences of their decisions; decisions that included firing dozens of invaluable volunteers and separating Memphis from Jeff.  Not to mention the hiring of a poorly trained convicted felon who abused Memphis as a VetTech.  Witnesses to such abuse have been let go while the abusers remain at the shelter.

Lore's insistance on only answering written questions let her to refuse to address many more questions on shelter issues and the contract terms that let to the dog being ordered back. When Fitzpatrick said he didn't have a copy available to refer to, many in the audience offered to supply one -- including Jeff who politely raised his hand. At this point, Lore declared the meeting over, and Jeff served her with the first package of his lawsuit  documents.

To most of the 28,000 animal lovers who signed the petition, continuing to lock up Memphis was an irrational decision borne of spite and insecurity.

Special Forum on Memphis Tonight --- ABC News Coverage

This has been a week of major developments on the Memphis issue.
Bloomfield township has just announced a PUBLIC PRESENTATION section on their main website (NOT the animal shelter site) saying public forum will be held Thursday night.

At Tuesday's town council meeting, the mayor announced that the Board of Health had hired a new nationally known dog trainer,Jim Crosby of Jacksonville, Florida, to evaluate Memphis. There were many public comments by residents including Jeff Coltenback. The Bloomfield Patch published close up video clips as well as stills of the meeting highlights.  The official video of the entire meeting is now online.

 Last night, the bare essentials of the hastily scheduled meeting were posted on the town website -- not on the Main township page but an ancillary Public Notice tab -- the meeting on Memphis is tonight 6pm-8pm Town in Council Chambers. Crosby plans to explain the results of his findings to the public and town council.

"Animal Shelter Public Presentation Evaluation Forum for Memphis 9/06/12 6-8pm 

Council Chambers"

His petition has passed the 27,000 mark.

He now has fully funded legal representation by The Lexis Project.

ABC News 7 has just taped a report for its "7 on Your Side" series to be broadcast either Thursday or Friday at 5. https://www.facebook.com/savememphisnj http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2012/09/05/home_for_memphis/

Repeal the Sewer Ordinance!

Most residents realize that a property owner is responsable for repairing water and sewer line leaks or blockages that occur on their property up to their curb line. Bloomfield recently adopted an ordinance that makes homeowners responsible for repairs in their line that extend out well beyond their property line to the middle of the street. Under this ordinance, the town could force the owner to pay for the repairs.  If they can't afford the bill,  the town could put a lien on the property making it impossible to sell in the future.

On the agenda for Tuesday's town council meeting is the forst reading of a bill by Nick Joanow to repeal this ordinance.

New Cutbacks at Shelter Stoke Shutdown Fears

The Bloomfield/Bukowski Animal Shelter appears to be circling its cages to reduce its exposure to public scrutiny and interaction. It has lately been spending more time deleting questions and comments than sharing info on the pets that are available for adoption.

Now, it has apparently given up competing with the Save the Bloomfield Shelter site. for fans on its Facebook page, with a status post that "For future updates on Memphis and other shelter activities, please visit us at bloomfieldanimalshelter.com.

Just posted on the Bloomfield Township website, but NOT posted on the shelter website are the newly limited hours for public access:
Monday 12pm - 2pm
Tuesday 12pm - 2pm
Wednesday 12pm - 2pm
Thursday 12pm - 2pm
Friday 12pm - 2pm
Saturday 12pm - 2pm
Sunday CLOSED

There are also reports that the shelter is requiring all visitors to provide photo ID.
Tuesday's town council meeting is expected to draw a large turnout by animal lovers concerned about recent cutbacks and firings as well as the confinement of Memphis.

Crimes and Punishment Bring the Feds to Town

Bloomfield Life is breaking the news that a Bloomfield tax preparer was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for preparing returns he knew were false, in order to get his clients large refunds to which they were not entitled, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Rigot Joseph, the sole owner of RJM Professional Tax Services, aided and assisted in the preparation of tax returns that claimed fabricated and inflated Schedule A itemized deductions for his clients. Joseph met with clients at the business in East Orange, where he prepared their tax returns for a fee. For filing years 2003 through 2007, Joseph prepared client tax returns that claimed deductions based on false gifts to charity, false job expenses and other false miscellaneous expenses, in order to obtain large refunds for his clients.

Memphis in His Cage (Video)

Pat Gilleran, who happens to be a long time member of Bloomfield's Open Space Board, suggested that Saturday might be a a good time to visit Bloomfield's Bukowski Animal Shelter and check up on the status of Memphis. After stating we wanted to check out the dogs, we were led into the large dog section by the Animal Control Officer.  Pat followed him to the right and I pointed my camera to the far left where Memphis was. He seemed glad to see us and can be seen through a gap in the gate rapidly wagging his tail. After less than 15 seconds,  I was stopped by the ACO who called in the shelter manager to inform me that I was breaking the rules against taking pictures.

I informed her that I had made many visits to the shelter this year in search of a cat and taken many photos without mention of said rule.
She insisted that she had never seen me before even though I had talked with her in her office several times, most recently when my wife and I spent half an hour with her filling out their lengthy application to adopt.
Pat commented on what followed:

I asked if we could see the cats - while we were in the cat room the ACO came back in a told is that F. Michael Fitzpatrick (Head of the Board of Health) had been called and we had to leave. I asked why I had to leave- the ACO said "he took a picture". I said "but I'm not him". I was told that I had to leave anyway. 

We walked out and looked for signs that said NO PHOTOGRAPHY in the main room and outside of the shelter. There were none. As we exited onto Hoover Ave. a cop car with blazing lights pulled into Bukowski Drive.  It was followed by two more - I didn't stick around to see if they turned into Bukowski Drive- but assume they did. Wowee- 3 cop cars because we visited the shelter. Wonder what crime I committed? I guess it's now illegal to visit the shelter....

Victorian Tea Time at Oakside

Many historically focussed Bloomfield Bicentennial events are on tap after Labor Day. The first is Sunday September 9th, 2 PM, at Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center 240 Belleville Avenue.

Finger sandwiches, scones, and cookies, an assortment of teas, and Docent led tours of the house will also be available. A cabaret performance by Corinna Sowers- Adler will cap the afternoon at 3:30 PM.
 Reservations are required and limited to 4 people per reservation Only 100 seats are available, so don’t wait too long! Call 973-429-0960 to save your spot.

Bloomfield BOH Delays Final Decision on Memphis

I've been to meetings at the Civic Center on dozens of occasions but this one drew the biggest crowd yet.

Nearly 150 animal lovers came from all over NJ and beyond to plead the case for Memphis to be adopted by Jeff Coltenback.

Some drove for 2 hours and stood in the humid room for over 2 hours to make their feelings known. Jeff led the comments with a passionate plea to adopt Memphis. There were no microphones, so you could hear a pin drop as everyone strained to hear each speaker. Four cops were seen in both doorways presumably to defend the board members from the public. Among the speakers were

(photo), and Shelby Dwyer's best friend,  Joe Dwyer. Other than the 2 weekly papers and Baristanet, no other media were seen taking notes. I was one of the lucky few to get a seat so I waited until nearly all the standees had their turn:

I currently volunteer with Neighbor to Neighbor and consider it a wonderful program that many more towns should emulate. But an awful lot of the good that you've accomplished on the human side has been negated by your unforced errors on the animal side --- ironically because your people skills with your volunteers have been pathetic. 

My background has been in the media, but I don't think any media consultant would recommend your recent actions concerning volunteers an Memphis as a way to generate public support. In my humble opinion, you need mindful and DEDICATED volunteers more than you need mindlessly controllable volunteers. 

The Official Bukowski Shelter site follows your lead by censoring critical comments. It's not hard to see why the official Bukowski Shelter site has 641 followers while the uncensored "Save the Shelter" site -- which has become a refuge for exiled volunteers -- is now at 6,060. 

Here we are -- all pleading for the life a dog who is clearly obedient, loving, loved and well cared for by Jeff. This whole week long drama is totally unnecessary. Number 9 on your agenda? All these folks behind me have been standing for hours waiting your verdict. It's Loony Tunes! You're supposed to be a health panel, not a death panel. Vote for Life!

Saving Memphis

Jeff Coltenback and his wife Diana are long time residents of Bloomfield. They own and operate a local pet business, Paradise Pet, on West Passaic at Lindburgh, which I've patronized many times. They are also the founders of Pitty Rescue, Inc a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal rescue organization. Jeff is a highly respected animal behaviorist and this family truly has a passion and a love for this often mislabeled and misunderstood breed. Memphis belongs with the Coltenbacks. If you agree, please sign and share his friends' petition, The life of an amazing pitty boy may depend on it. Memphis' Story, in Jeff's words:

Help us get Memphis back! Memphis'abbreviated story (it's a really long one though): Memphis was picked up as stray in Feb 2012 and further restricted by shelter management after his initial 7-day hold was up. He was then deemed UN-adoptable by an evaluator in March (not by any judicial system). He has no bite history and, to my knowledge, has never injured anyone -- human or animal. His only crime; his breed. After learning about Memphis, I contacted the Township of Bloomfield Health Dept and offered my services to evaluate/train him. In order to gain permission to do so (which permitted me to train him only; I was prohibited from evaluating him), I signed a 5-page legal contract which also included holding me liable for Memphis and any expenses incurred on his behalf.

Part of my training with Memphis, like any dog I work with, included socialization. During this socialization training, he interacted with both adults and children -- all by permission. Due to this, the Township said I put the public in danger and ordered me to bring Memphis back to the shelter, which I did. My wife, Diana, and I then offered to adopt him permanently and sign a waiver relieving the Township of all liability. I submitted my adoption application to the Health Department, Mayor and Town Council, along with 12 Letters of Recommendation from professionals and rescue groups, here in the tri-state area. During his entire 8 days with us, Memphis never exhibited any behaviors that provided an opportunity for me to correct or modify his behavior. He has been around people, dogs, cats, rats and even parrots without incident. My wife and I had Memphis for one week, and fell madly in love with him -- he's just that kind of dog. Since he has been sent from our sofa back to the shelter, we cry for him every day. We eagerly await the Township's decision on whether or not they will allow us to adopt him. Memphis is truly a great dog who has a responsible, stable, experienced and loving forever home to go to -- ours. 

You can email letters of support for me to adopt Memphis to: 

health@bloomfieldtwpnj.com, mfitzpatrick@bloomfieldtwpnj.com klore@bloomfieldtwpnj.com rbrown@bloomfieldtwpnj.com njoanow@bloomfieldtwpnj.com, pdunigan@bloomfieldtwpnj.com, law@bloomfieldtwpnj.com brian@aloialawfirm.com, courts@bloomfieldtwpnj.com

We're more than a bit confused to hear that the BOH's Evaluator finished his/her work on Saturday, but will not discuss their findings until Thursday's BOH meeting. Meanwhile, Memphis sits alone in a cage. Why the delay? You can attend this month's Board of Health meeting where Jeff's case is on the agenda. It's being held on Thursday at 6:30 in the Squad Room of the Police Building Civic Center at 84 Broad St.

Redevelopment Updates and Q A at College On Tuesday

F

Next Monday's Council Meeting

Theres a lot to talk about:

http://bloomfieldtownnj.iqm2.com//Citizens/detail_meeting.aspx?ID=1070

Clark Avenue Winners

On a balmy night of neighborhood block parties,  awards night for Bloomfield's Bicentennial Home Decorating contest, and the leading contestant for largest tomatoes in town and Clark Avenue dominated the winning selections: 

61 Clark Avenue:           Tim & Denise Smith

53 Clark Avenue:           Jack & Annamaria McMahon

49 Clark Avenue:           Adam & Michelle Jaworski

47 Clark Avenue:           Mark & Shirley Sceurman

23 Cedar Street:             Bob & Danise (Bonnie) Taboadela

3 Parkway East:             Dan & Auria Natal

44 Vernon Terrace:        Jeremiah & Eileen Larkin

NNO Will Be All Around Bloomfield This Tuesday

Tuesday night is National Night Out, a chance for members of the Bloomfield community to get to know their neighbors while joining forces to prevent crime in their neighborhoods. 

The 29^th annual National Night Out (NNO) event, co-sponsored locally by the Bloomfield Police Department, involves 11,000 communities from all 50 states, Canadian cities and military bases around the world.  The Bloomfield Fire Department will also be participating in the event.  There will be free giveaways for children.

To register your block party or for more information, call Officer Kevin O’Connell in the Bloomfield Community Policing Division at 973-259-3152.
The following blocks/neighborhoods have registered for parties as of Monday:

Halcyon Pond

Dewey Street         

 Martin Street                 

Johnson Avenue

 Collins Avenue

 Garner Avenue

 Wells Ct

 North End Terr.

292 Bloomfield Ave     (Elks Club)

 N15th Street       

221 Broad Street

Salter Place
 Berkeley
 Mountain 

Don't Miss The Wedding Singer

Jessica Pastore is a 16-year-old Bloomfield resident who attended Bloomfield High School but is currently homeschooled. When she was attending BHS, one of her favorite activities was being a member of the choir. Jessica was afflicted with a brain tumor and had to undergo surgery last summer. Unfortunately, the surgery has left her blind. Jessica keeps a positive attitude and her head held high no matter what situation life has in store, which is a lesson we all should take with us on our own journey.

All proceeds from this Charles Sellers Foundation's Talent Time Players' production will be given to Jessica's rehabilitation.

The production is in the Bloomfield High School auditorium and continues this Friday and Saturday as well as August 9 -11th at 8PM.
General Admission $15 – Student/Seniors $12. Cash and Check Only (checks made payable to The Charles Seller Foundation) Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Who's Anonymous?

Kinda nice to see your name in the paper without having to write an article or a letter to the editor. This weeks Bloomfield Life has a followup piece to it's coverage of last months Special Planning Board Meeting concerning the Oakes Pond developer's application.

The original writeup on the meeting quoted Attorney Ralph Salerno's charge that anonymous packages were sent to several board members with unspecified information opposing the development.
The packets contained the Remedial Action Workplan for National Starch and Chemical which was submitted to the NJDEP, and included the nature and location of contaminants at the site, a description of the partial cleanup to non-residential standards, and the necessity for ongoing groundwater monitoring and deed restrictions. All of this is public information, yet none of it was allowed into evidence or even mentioned by the developer's environmental experts during the hearings.

The "anonymous" cover letter was signed by 12 members of Save Bloomfield Now including myself.  The next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7.

Brookside/Watsessing Finales This Tuesday

Bloomfield's outdoor concert goers will have to choose between two great concerts on opposite ends of town. Residents are invited to Essex County Watsessing Park on Tuesday, July 31 for the rain delayed concert featuring Newark-native Carrie Jackson. Jazz vocal stylist Jackson honed her talent in her hometown. She began singing in the Children’s Choir at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Newark,.Whether performing solo or with her Jazzin’ All Star Band, Jackson’s classical performances feature jazz favorites, soulful pop, blues and poignant mellow gospel.

 The Infernos, America’s #1 Show Band and the area’s premier live performance group, has been on the music scene since 1977. In recent years their fame has grown and they have had opportunities that even the most famous main-stream bands would only dream of. The band has performed for President Obama and past Presidents as well. Bloomfield's own Bobby Wells brings his band back home with the release of a new dance single entitled “Boom” which features Jazz Artist Robin Filippone with an assist from Kenny Simmons, former member of the 3-time Grammy Award-winning R&B group The Commodores/ The two artists previously worked together on Filippone’s soon to be released Jazz CD, “Love For Sale.” Filippone is a former New Jersey Miss America contestant. She will be touring this summer with The Infernos on their 2012 “The Ultimate Tour”.

Parking and Traffic Issues Up for Debate at Key Meetings

Key votes in next week's Town Council and Planning Board meetings may both turn out to be decisive in Bloomfield's redevelopment plans. Monday night's biggest council meeting question is whether to keep feeding the PA meter or knock it down -- along with redevelopment plans. Among a long list of items on Monday's conference agenda are proposals that may lead to either increased borrowing for the town's fledgling Parking Authority or it's abolition.

At Tuesday"s Planning Board Meeting, the 225 Belleville's traffic expert is expected to make his case that 332 new apartments (with over 600 more cars) will not significantly complicate the traffic flow on Belleville Avenue. It's possible that this will be the last opportunity for the public to question the experts and state their opposition to the development before the Planning Board votes on the application.

Residents Raise New Concerns on 225 Belleville Cleanup

We've heard reports that the developer for the "Oakes Pond" site is stepping up his efforts to prepare the site for his ambitious development weeks before the Planning Board is prepared to vote oh his plan.

I drove down to the site to check out reports that the cleanup crew had been working closer to The Third River than his permits allowed.

Talked to Dan of Danco Inc. about the status of the operation. He insisted that such reports were "unsubstantiated." The DEP subsequently found enough evidence of unauthorized digging to issue a warning to Danco.

Ben Morse summed up many resident's concerns in an excellent Bloomfield Life column this week.
He points out that

"No cleanup is occurring in the area of historic fill. The developer plans to "cap" the contamination with clean soil. How this "clean fill" stays put during a flood – the site is known to have flooded in the 1930s and 1950s, and during hurricanes Floyd and Irene - is anybody’s guess."

Yet Another "Freeze" by Heller.

There have been many mistakes made over the last two decades that have delayed plans to redevelop Bloomfield's downtown. Some of the officials originally involved in the delays are long gone from the scene. Others may not be around when the ambitious plans are ultimately realized.  But one individual has rising from the rubble as the ultimate negative influence. The last obstacle standing is South Orange developer Cary Heller.

 

 In the unlikely event that hell freezes over and Heller wins his latest appeal, and he winds up building his "Field of Dreams", would anyone come?

Pink Floyd Tribute at BHS Tonight 7PM

Today, July 10, 2012, 7:00 pm

Bloomfield High School, 160 Broad St, Bloomfield, 

 Town Bicentennial Concert Series: 

Childhood’s End

(Pink Floyd Tribute Band)

Liongate 10 A.M. Event Postponed

Just received this  email .---No explanation given-- Called the Mayor –no return call ---nick

From: Rosemary Brown [mailto:rbrown@bloomfieldtwpnj.com] On Behalf Of Raymond McCarthy
Subject: CANCELLED ********Baykeeper and the Green Acre’s Ribbon cutting celebration Desimone property July 10, 2012 10am

The Sun Rises on Liongate Park This Tuesday

We're delighted to share this invitation from the revived and resuscitated Bloomfield Third Riverbank Association:

Dear Friends, You have already heard the good news that the township now owns the 5.7 acres plot of land along Liongate Drive recently purchased from developer John Desimone.

This acquisition, acquired with Green Acres and N.J./ N.Y. Bay keeper funding, is the result of a decade-long effort by the New York/New Jersey Baykeeper, The Rutger's Environmental Law Clinic, the Third Riverbank Association, the township Open Space Committee, township staff, and many, many friends and supporters. To all we say thank you in helping to preserve these critical wetlands.
In honor of this, we would like to invite you to two events:

 Tuesday, July 10 at 10 A.M. To officially welcome the property to the township's fold, the township will celebrate with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the property site. Directions: The property is off of Broad Streets on Liongate Drive opposite Glenridge Parkway. Liongate is the first cross street north of Bay Avenue on Broad St. Going south on Broad Street, it is the first left hand turn after the Glen Ridge Country Club.(You may have to park on Broad St. as roadwork is being done by the adjacent condo association.)

 Thanks,
 Nick Joanow and the Third Riverbank Association

It Always Rains On Bloomfield...

...except when it doesn't. Most towns in NJ and NY maintained their 4th of July plans -- including fireworks. (Still unaware of any other postponements in the area) We happened to pass by the GR Golf Club and enjoyed the climatic conclusion of their show from the lower depths of Broad Street. Seemed like the perfect metaphor for our town's dysfunctional government. Most of our neighboring towns also have a town pool and/or rec center as well as thriving downtowns. This was posted on the NJ Bloomfield Forum site by "byebyebloomfield":

I just don't get it: weather is perfect, everyone is off today, BBQing, celebrating having parties and waiting for the fireworks. Well the whole horizon of the sky lit up, all surrounding towns as ususal having their display, but not Bloomfield. No one knew anything, confusion and disapointment. And just hours earlier a police display sign at Hoover and JFK informend us that we are having fireworks tonight! Cruel joke I guess. I also start to believe in all af those posts below stating how screwed up this town really is!

In fairness, our Rec Department has done a superb job of producing some memorable events in our town -- especially in this Bicentennial year. However, celebrating the 4th on the 5th just won't be the same.

Next! Bloomfield Looking for Fourth Administrator in 18 Months

The Bloomfield Township Council will hold a special conference meeting on Monday to discuss the status of Yoshi Manale, the township administrator.

The previous administrator, Fred Carr (above), served for 14 months before being asked to resign by the Mayor.r. Five members of the council are reportedly prepared to vote out Me. Manale. No word yet as to who might be considered to be the fourth administrator in less than three years. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at the Law Enforcement Building. It will be followed by more fireworks in Brookdale Park.

UPDATE: After a closed session in Monday's conference meeting,it was announced that the council has unanimously accepted Manale's resignation. It is not yet known when his last day on the job will be.

Unofficial List of Current Developments Underway

At last night's council meeting, Councilman Nick Joanow proposed that a fiscal impact study be completed on the longterm affect of the following developments on Bloomfield residents.
Bloomfield College -- Block 242 – 37-59 Broad St./Franklin St. – 5 story residence hall – 124,000 square foot

Scientific Glass at Liongate -- 104 (52 2-bedrooms 52 3-bedrooms) Hartz Mountain – 395 Units

National Starch & Chemical - 225 Belleville Ave --332 units – 654 parking spaces

Downtown Redevelopment -- Block 228– 224 Apartments – Studio, 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom -

78-80 Locust Ave. Property Auction 7/28/2011 -- 40 Unit For Condos/Apartments

12 Willow St. -12 Units – Condos –

Special Planning Board Mtg Tuesday on 225 Belleville

You'd never know if from the vague language on the township's website, but there's a lot at stake at the extended series of special PB meetings to explore the application for over 332 units at the former Oakes Pond site at 225 Belleville Ave.  Many questions have yet to be answered regarding the viability of the project:


Why is the project only seeking approval for industrial standards of environmental health rather than residential standards?

Will there be any direct oversight by the DEP on the site remediation in view of recent EPA sanctions on negligent developers?

Should the town hire its own LSRP to supervise the project?


Could taxpayers be liable for failures in the remediation process or flood damage?

What will be the impact of hundreds of additional cars on Belleville Avenue traffic patterns?

UPDATE: On Monday morning, the Planning Board posted a revised agenda which spelled out some of the issues regarding the site remediation.
It also added this item regarding other developments waiting to be considered by the Board:
 "Proposal from Richard B. Reading Associates for an evaluation of proposed residential development throughout town."

Tuesday's meeting begins at 7PM in council chambers.

Beat the Heat in Civic Center

Along with being graduation day at BHS (avoid JFK Drive this evening after 5PM), today's heat wave may break all time temperature records for many towns in the northeast. If your A/C is on the blink, the Township of Bloomfield is hosting a Cooling Center at the Civic Center located at 84 Broad Street, Bloomfield.

The Civic Center will be open from 8:30 a.m until 9 p.m. and is open to all who need respite from the heat. The Civil Center is located in the downtown center of Bloomfield and public transportation is available directly in front of the building. To contact the Civic Center directly, call 973-743-9074. The Mayor and Township Council encourage you to use this cooling center should you not have any access to shelter from the heat. The public library next door is open until 5PM today.

Commercial Real Estate Firm Moves Corporate HQ to Bloomfield

Prism Capital Partners, LLC has relocated its headquarters to BroadAcres Office Park from Englewood, N.J., in an expansion move. The commercial real estate owner/operator has maintained its property management operations at 200 Broadacres Drive since 2006, when it purchased the 380,000-square-foot, four-building BroadAcres campus.

The company’s growth and the acceleration of key local projects were catalysts for consolidating their staff into a single location, and that BroadAcres was the logical choice. “We are involved in two major construction projects within 10 minutes of this property,” noted Edwin Cohen, Principal Partner. “It has become increasingly important for our Prism Construction Services, LLC division, especially, to be physically closer to these sites as things progress.

Among Prism’s larger current projects is Parkway Lofts(top photo), a multi-family adaptive reuse project. The General Electric Company in 1897 built the landmark, six-story warehouse that Prism is redeveloping into 365 loft-style apartments with lifestyle amenities. Upon completion, the property will be transformed into a distinctive residential village also featuring approximately 170 for-sale townhomes and a clubhouse.

Prism also is serving as designated redeveloper for Edison Village, a master-planned mixed-use project in nearby West Orange, N.J. That project’s first phase included the adaptive reuse of the historic Thomas Edison Invention Factory and Commerce Center, including a total renovation and reconstruction of the nearly 100-year-old factory complex.

Arts and Crafts -- and Dogs Galore -- in Brookdale Park

In its 24th year, Spring Fine Art and Crafts at Brookdale Park features over 160 juried professional artists, photographers and craft artisans from throughout the country displaying and selling their hand-crafted work, on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm rain or shine. 

This free to the public show, co-sponsored by the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs and Janet and Howard Rose of Rose Squared Productions,

Bloomfield's Tony

Congratulations to Watsessing's own Michael McGrath for winning his first Tony Award Sunday for best performance by an actor in a featured role in “Nice Work If You Can Get It.” McGrath had been nominated for the same award in 2005 when he appeared in "Spamalot."

Open Houses on Dream Street

Two open houses caught our eye today as they happened to be a block away from each other on the same street. Both colonials were constructed around 1940 and were nearly mirror images in size and layout. 40 Barnett was reduced from 355k to 339k. 7 Barnet had dropped from 229k to 215k. 40 Barnet had been recently updated with a sparkling new kitchen that opened up into the dining room. 7 Barnett need some updating. Also perplexing was that the newly renovated home was taxed at 9914, while the more dated home was taxed at 1188.

Both sellers are motivated so make your offer now! One home is already vacant and the other is occupied by the former head of the Board of Ed. She is reportedly determined that her child not attend BHS this fall.

Bloomfield's New Political Landscape

Yesterday's primaries resulted in one upset that may well signal changes in store for 2013. The mayor lost his county committee seat 45 to 34 to newcomer Michael Cantalupo in the Democrat's Ward 2. County committee members elect the municipal and county chairs, and are also responsible for getting voters to the polls in their respective districts. This inspired an anonymous pundit with the monicker "Bloomfield Politics" to post the following analysis on the NJ/Bloomfield Forum:

Democratic Chairman Peter Strumolo has decided to abandon the man he has supported for over thirteen years and the same person he has told Bloomfield residents would make a great mayor. Strumolo is leading the charge against the man he spent $140,000.00 to get elected in 2010, Mayor Ray McCarthy. According to the rumors in Town Hall Strumolo is pushing strong for one of the sitting councilman to take on the Mayor in 2013. The problem is that if he makes that move he will be fighting a war with Both the Mayor and Republican Chairman Lou Linares who brought the Republican party within 193 votes of beating the Democrats in 2010 when over 11,000 people voted. Linares spent $36,000.00 to Strumolo’s $140,000.00, and almost won, despite having a less then exciting candidate. Strumolo is still according to rumors getting heat from the County party for almost losing in a town that is two to one Democrat. In addition the mayor who is a proven fighter and refuses to ever go down without an all-out fight is preparing to take the Democratic Chairman on in 2013 with or without the party line . Behind all of this craziness is, according to one town hall insider Michael Venezia the Unions personal representative on the council, The very Pro-Union at any cost Venezia is said to be wanting the mayor’s job since he first became councilman. Venezia is waiting for the union bosses to decide what to do. Strumolo is in a interesting position. His only hope is that Linares and the Mayor don’t become temporary friends to fight a common enemy. If this happens Bloomfield will be in the thick of it again 2013 as it was in 2010.

(At right, 225 Belleville Ave site fur Oakes Pond Development.

A Bounty of Primary Choices at South side of Town

Several candidates are competing for the 10th Congressional District seat left vacant by the death of Democratic Rep. Donald Payne Sr. The candidates include Payne's son, Donald Jr., and and state Senator Nia Gill, Irvington Mayor Wayne Smith, Newark Councilman Ronald Rice, Cathy Wright, and Dennis Flynn of Glen Ridge. The 10th District, which was reconfigured this year following redistricting will encompass parts of Bloomfield, south of Belleville Ave. much of Newark, Maplewood and South Orange, as well as parts of Hudson and Union counties. Thanks to Carl Bergmanson who put this simplified map together.

Purr-fect Yard Sale

A Purrfect World Cat Sanctuary is holding its annual fund raising yard sale this Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 60 Newark Avenue (corner of Baldwin Avenue),in Bloomfield. At left is Val Slamka, founder of Purrfect World.
The sale features over 2 dozen tables of merchandise, including clothing, bookcases, appliances, and assorted knick knacks. A Purrfect World is a non-profit, 501 C3 organization dedicated to assisting the local shelters and communites in the care and education of stray and unwanted cats.