Another week means lots of headlines to catch up on in the Essex County area. Among the highlights: a Newark teen has published a book about his charitable efforts; three new businesses come to Bloomfield; and Montclair considers short-term rentals downtown. Read on for more news from Montclair, Bloomfield, and beyond for the week ending August 27th, 2023.
NJ Law Now Requires Schools to Provide Free Menstrual Products to Students
The term “period poverty” might not be commonplace in some communities but limited access to menstrual supplies affects millions of people on a daily basis. As of this week, New Jersey is taking strides to combat that issue — with the help of Jersey City-based, grassroots organization The Flow Initiative — passing a statewide mandate that requires public schools to provide free menstrual health products in grades 6-12. The mandate, coined Bill A1349, also requires schools to cover the costs of said period products, and Governor Murphy officially signed the bill into law on August 23rd, 2023. Read on for what we know about Bill A1349 and what this bill means for public school students in grades six through twelve, who will now have access to free period supplies.
Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill Visits Montclair YMCA
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Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill visited the YMCA of Montclair to discuss childcare and other community services, according to BaristaNet. She visited the Early Learning Center, where she met with YMCA leaders to talk about funding from the NJ Stabilization Fund (CARES ACT) and her childcare bill — the Child Care for Every Community Act. The Congresswoman met some young constituents during her time at the YMCA.
Teacher Pathway Program Launches in Newark
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Per Patch, a new program designed to bring more teachers to New Jersey schools. The Gateway program is an accelerated, hybrid program that trains students to become teachers and uses peer support and mentorship to achieve success. The program is a partnership between the state of New Jersey and several institutes of higher education.
Fall Exhibits at the Montclair Art Museum
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Four new exhibits will open this fall at the Montclair Art Museum, according to BaristaNet. New Jersey-based artist Siona Benjamin will open her exhibition on September 15th, Siona Benjamin: Lilith in the New World. Also opening on September 15th is Taking Space: Contemporary Women Artists and the Politics of Scale, which will display ten artworks from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA). Montclair Art Museum is working in collaboration with Studio Montclair to present a juried show inspired by the Museum’s fall exhibition. The show will open on September 15th and is called Inspired by the Weight of an Object–A Partnership with Studio Montclair. Finally, Joel Meyerowitz: Photographs from Cape Cod (1976-1987) will open on November 10th.
Bloomfield Store Sells Winning Lottery Ticket
A Bloomfield store sold a winning lottery ticket, according to Patch. The winning ticket worth $100,000 was part of the August 16th Powerball drawing. The ticket was sold at Krauszer’s Food Store on Broad Street in Bloomfield.
Montclair Church Damaged by Fire Plans to Rebuild, Buoyed by Community Support
Per Patch, the congregation of a Montclair church that suffered a significant fire last week has plans to rebuild. Community members throughout Montclair have reached out to Grace Presbyterian Church to offer support and encouragement as the group moves forward after the fire. A group of children even hosted a lemonade stand fundraiser in support of the church.
Montclair Film Festival Imagery Released
Via a press release, Montclair Film announced the artwork for this year’s Montclair Film Festival. The design, created by Montclair-based creative agency, Hiker, replicates the printing technique risograph to create an energetic and exciting representation of the annual festival. The team used words that capture the feel of the festival including Connect, Excite, Inspire and Explore and their corresponding visual sound waves in combination with phrases that embody the power of film on the big screen such as Cinema Opens Worlds and Cinema Sparks Dreams. Four different posters have been created and will be used across different applications of the campaign.
Festivities Planned for NJ Transit’s 40th Anniversary
NJ Transit will celebrate its 40th Anniversary this fall, and the agency already has celebrations planned. According to a press release, the weekend of September 30th through October 1st will be filled with special events to honor the history of the railway, including traveling the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Lines in a special train with historic and conventional equipment. The festivities will culminate in an exhibit of heritage locomotives at the Hoboken PATH Station on October 1st. Tickets are required for the special rides, for tickets and more information, please click here.
Montclair Councilman Yacobellis Won’t Seek Re-election or Run for Mayor
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Montclair Councilmember Peter Yacobellis has announced that he will not be running for Mayor of Montclair, despite previously announcing his plans to run. In an email to constituents, Peter cited his physical and mental health as contributing factors to the decision, and that he will also not be running for re-election to his Council seat. He reiterated his commitment to the community by writing, ” I will be actively participating in that process as I want to ensure we’re all well represented going forward.”
Newark’s 24 Hours of Peace Event to Take Place September 1st
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Newark’s 24 Hours of Peace will take place from 6PM on Friday, September 1st till 6PM on Saturday September 2nd at Springfield Avenue, between Bergen and Blum Streets. According to Patch, the event is meant to celebrate the community through music, food, games, vendors, and other activities. The event was founded by current Mayor Ras Baraka 11 years ago when he was a city council member.
Montclair Local + BaristaNet Merge, Launch Digital Publication
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Montclair Local and BaristaNet announced plans this spring to merge, and now the new format has debuted. Readers are invited to explore the new site. Best wishes to the new, digital-only publication as the team explores this new chapter.
Newark Teen Authors Book About Charitable Efforts
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A Newark teen is doing his part to help animals in need. According to Patch, 16-year-old Sir Darius Brown of Newark is the person behind Project PAWSome, where handmade bowties and bandanas for dogs and cats are distributed to shelters to help get the animals adopted. The attention-grabbing accessories make for better pictures, which helps animals get noticed. Sir Darius has written a book about his efforts, Project PAWsome: Saving Shelter Pets One Bow Tie at a Time, which will be released on September 5th.
‘I Have a Dream’ Speech 60th Anniversary Marked in Montclair
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Friends of the Howe House hosted a festival in honor of the 60th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech. Per Montclair Local, the day included students’ reciting of the speech, a community clean-up of the MLK sculpture grounds, snacks, music, and arts and crafts. The event took place at the MLK Jr. Teardrop Monument in Montclair’s Nishuane Park.
Montclair History Center Receives State Grant
The Montclair History Center is 1 of 41 organizations that received funding through the New Jersey Historical Commission’s $5.2 million in grant funding to historical organizations, museums, historic sites, archives, individuals, and county re-grant agencies across the state. MHC was awarded a $32,400 general operating support grant that will provide critical funding to maintain staffing and site costs of the organization, according to a press release from the organization. The MHC maintains three historical facilities and welcomes over 10,000 visitors a year.
3 New Businesses Coming to Bloomfield
According to a social media post from the Bloomfield Center Alliance, three new businesses will be opening soon. Bacio Nero, located at 308 Glenwood Avenue, is an Italian restaurant. Varitage Brew Works, located at 58 Washington Street, is a craft brewery. Nightjar Cannabis, located at 549 Bloomfield Avenue, is a cannabis dispensary.
Proposal to Allow Short-Term Rentals in Montclair Approved
The Montclair Town Council approved a proposal to allow short-term rentals, according to Montclair Local. The proposal applies to a building currently under construction, MC Residences, a 40-unit apartment building at the corner of Bloomfield Avenue and Orange Road. The original plan was for market-rate apartments with four units for affordable housing, while this change would make the property into something more akin to an extended-stay hotel. The set-aside of the four affordable housing units would be preserved, should the change be approved.
Central Jersey Officially Exists, According to a New NJ Law
In a move to promote tourism in the area, a new bill in the New Jersey legislature sought to define the boundaries of Central Jersey. After advancing along with three other bills related to the subject back in February, Governor Murphy has now signed the bill — meaning Central Jersey will officially be recognized under New Jersey law. Central Jersey is often the butt of friendly ribbing from its North and South Jersey neighbors, querying whether Central Jersey does exist. The bill proposes defining the region for the purpose of promoting tourism, and now that it has been signed by Governor Murphy, New Jersey’s state tourism map will be re-drawn to include Central Jersey. Read on to learn more about this new NJ law.
