The Montclair Girl Team 
MDW = the unofficial start to summer, but with this dreary weather, we’ll try again next weekend. Every week, we round up the top news stories of the week from both our site, The Montclair Girl, and aggregate across the web from various sources. Headlines get you up to speed this week include Montclair Films Under the Stars schedule was announced, Governor Sherrill announces plans for bars to have flexible operating hours during the World Cup, and Dan and Days announces a new music festival.
You can read more at the links below, and always feel free to submit any news tips to [email protected]. Our twice-weekly newsletter shares more as well, which you can sign up for here (it’s so great, promise)!
– Dan + Days is launching its first-ever music festival in Upper Montclair this fall (The Montclair Girl).
– Montclair is increasing parking meter rates and expanding paid parking hours as part of updates to the township’s parking system (The Montclair Girl).
– Governor Mikie Sherrill visited Hoboken to announce guidance allowing municipalities to give bars and restaurants more flexibility around World Cup hours (The Hoboken Girl).
– Montclair Films Under the Stars is back for summer 2026, with a schedule announcement for showing in June, July + August (The Montclair Girl).
– A major fire in Belleville displaced 20 residents and damaged multiple properties (NJ Advance Media).
– The Montclair Foundation awarded $80K in spring grants to support local education, arts, and cultural programming (Montclair Local).
– The new capybara pups at the Turtleback Zoo are officially named Bailey + Guiness (Turtleback Zoo via Instagram).
– More than 60 groups are urging Governor Mikie Sherrill to immediately pause new AI data center projects in New Jersey over concerns about energy use, water demand, and community impacts (NJ Advance Media).
– One person was arrested, and a police officer was injured in Glen Ridge after a vehicle tied to a carjacking crashed, officials said (Montclair Local).
– The Bloomfield Board of Education approved 24 staff cuts as part of its 2026-2027 budget following state aid reductions and rising costs (TAPinto Bloomfield).
– A large bird’s death in Montclair’s Edgemont Park pond is drawing concern amid ongoing questions about the pond’s water quality (Montclair Local).
– A delivery driver was rescued in Newark after crashing into a massive fallen tree that trapped him inside the truck (News 12 New Jersey).
– New Jersey MVC chief Rosalie Johnson said the agency is not ready to fully eliminate service appointments yet, though improving access and wait times remains a priority (NJ Advance Media).
– New Jersey moves toward becoming the first state to provide free universal postpartum home visits to all families with newborns (WHYY).
– Montclair Public Schools said it has addressed several audit findings, though district officials noted more financial and operational work remains (Montclair Local).
– Montclair Council members are split over new valet parking rules, with some officials pushing for stronger limits or an outright ban (Montclair Local).
– The Port Authority plans to spend $200 million upgrading Newark Airport’s aging Terminal B, while a long-term replacement remains years away (NJ Advance Media).
– Maplewood leaders plan to introduce an anti-ICE ordinance in June, following another reported immigration enforcement arrest on Springfield Avenue (Village Green).
– World Cup demand is fueling Airbnb activity in New Jersey, where visitors and hosts are navigating a patchwork of local short-term rental laws (The New York Times).
– A proposed New Jersey bill to ban potassium bromate in flour is sparking debate among pizza makers and food industry advocates over health concerns, costs, and how it could affect pizza dough (NJ Advance Media).
– Governor Mikie Sherrill is considering an unprecedented merger of NJ Transit and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority as part of a broader push to improve transportation in the state (NorthJersey.com).
– West Orange schools plan to cut all middle school sports amid a $13.5 million budget deficit (NJ Advance Media).
– Montclair Art Museum appointed Kate Kraczon as Chief Curator starting June 15th, bringing her contemporary art leadership experience from Brown University and the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania to help shape MAM’s next chapter (via email).
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