Thanksgiving has come and gone while the Christmas spirit is in full swing now. It’s been another busy week in Essex County and we’ve got all the news to keep you up to date. Among the highlights: the 2024 Essex County Holiday House is returning this December; Bloomfield holds a ceremonial swearing-in of its new mayor and councilwoman; and Friends of the Nutley Public Library will be celebrating Giving Tuesday this week. Read on for all the news in Essex County for the week ending December 1st, 2024.
Have a news story or press release? Email it to [email protected].
Among the Headlines (read on for full stories):
- Evergreens Property Now Available For Rent in Montclair
- New Jersey Teen Among Youngest To Earn Pilot License
- Verona to Receive $1M To Turn Vacant Property Into Public Parking Lot
- Essex County Non-Profit Receives $425,000 Grant from Jeff Bezos + Lauren Sánchez
- Irvington Native Becomes First Black Woman To Lead $100M Affordable Housing Project in NJ
- 2024 Essex County Holiday House Tour Returning This December
- The 100 Club of Montclair To Honor Father Frank Burla
- Bloomfield Swears in New Mayor + Councilwoman
- ‘Italian American Educator Of Year’ Awarded To Newark School Official
- Friends of the Nutley Public Library To Celebrate Giving Tuesday This Week
The Best of Montclair 2024 Guide Finalists Announced — VOTE NOW!
The finalists for the Best of Montclair 2024 Guide are in! You can vote once per day in all categories, now through Sunday, December 8th at 11:59PM. The winners will be announced in mid-December once the categories are tallied. Click here for more.
Bloomfield Holds Ceremonial Swearing-In of New Mayor + Councilwoman
The Township of Bloomfield hosted the Ceremonial Swearing-In of Jenny Mundell as Mayor and Monica Charris Tabares as Councilwoman At Large on Tuesday, November 26th. This celebratory public event follows their official assumption of office on Monday, November 18th, upon certification of the general election results by the Essex County Clerk’s office per a press release from the township. A reception also followed the ceremony.
Check Out The Montclair Girl’s Holiday Shopping Deals Guide 2024
To help you cross some names off of your gift-giving list and get into the groove of the holiday season, we’ve put together a holiday shopping guide so readers can get acquainted with local businesses in the Northern New Jersey area — ranging from food + drink to wellness, beauty, health, fitness, and so much more. Plus, most of the businesses included in our downloadable guide have an exclusive code, just for MG readers. Click here to download the guide.
Evergreens Property Now Available For Rent
The historic Charles Shultz House, located at 30 North Mountain Avenue in Montclair and also known as Evergreens, is now listed for rent for $15,900 a month. According to Montclair Local, a family purchased the home from the Montclair History Center in 2021; it was built in 1896 by Hoboken bank president Charles S. Shultz, was home to three generations of the Shultz family, and was barely changed for decades. The home is available as a short-term or furnished rental and purchase offers will also be considered. The renovated home features two acres of property, a wraparound porch, seven bedrooms, three bonus rooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms, and a chef’s kitchen.
We’re Donating $1,000 to Two Local Non-Profits of Your Choice
If you’re looking to shop small and give back this holiday season, we have just the trick — and a little gift for two very lucky New Jersey residents. To support small businesses and local non-profits, our The Local Girl brands have a fun giveaway to share with our readers. We’re giving away $2000 — $1000 each to a local non-profit of our readers’ choice, as well as $100 to the New Jersey business of their choice. This is all going down on our Instagram — so head there, stat (it ends today, December 1st, 2024!). Click here for more.
The 100 Club of Montclair To Honor Father Frank Burla
The 100 Club of Montclair’s annual dinner meeting will take place on Wednesday, December 4th, at the Glen Ridge Country Club, with a special celebration in honor of Father Frank Burla. Father Burla, known as “Father B,” has been a cornerstone of the Montclair community for nearly five decades, per a press release from the organization. The evening will begin with a cocktail hour featuring an open bar, followed by dinner. Tickets for the event are $150 per person. The 100 Club of Montclair has been dedicated to supporting the families of patrol officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians who have lost their lives or sustained debilitating injuries in the line of duty since 1966.
Verona To Receive $1M To Turn Vacant Property Into Public Parking Lot
It was announced on Thursday, November 21st, that the Township of Verona will get up to $1 million to acquire a vacant property at 46 Lakeside Avenue to create a public parking lot. The proposed parking lot will provide around 140 metered spots along with overnight and commercial parking permits and additional revenue will come from electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) board has recently approved more than $17 million in funding for the Local Property Acquisition Grant Program. The funding is set to support 12 real estate development projects throughout New Jersey. According to Patch Verona-Cedar Grove, the plan is part of an ongoing effort to “revitalize and support Verona’s downtown economy and local businesses.” A bond for the purchase was approved during a recent Verona Township Council meeting (see above).
New Jersey Teen Among Youngest To Earn Pilot License
Avi Gupta, a Warren resident, has become one of the nation’s youngest FAA-licensed private pilots at 17 years old. Avi has gotten a tremendous boost in achieving this milestone from Eagle Flight Squadron, a nonprofit based in East Orange that helps underprivileged youth train for aviation careers. He has amassed more than 200 flight hours through the squadron over the past three years, which provides training experience in their two aircraft: a Cessna 150 and a Cessna 172, per Patch West Orange. Avi has also gained valuable discipline through military drills and flying lessons, finding support with his peers and flight instructors along the way.
Essex County Non-Profit Receives $425,000 Grant from Jeff Bezos + Lauren Sánchez
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Family Promise of Essex County, an Essex County non-profit organization dedicated to serving families facing the crisis of homelessness, announced on Wednesday, November 20th, that it has received a $425,000 grant from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez through the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. This donation is the largest gift in the organization’s history, per a press release from the organization. Family Promise plans to use its funds to substantially augment the organization’s existing Rapid Rehousing program to exit families from shelter to permanent housing and serve more families in its Temporary Shelter program, which is unique in its approach to keeping families of all sizes together while in shelter.
Irvington Native Becomes First Black Woman To Lead $100M Affordable Housing Project in NJ
New Jersey resident Nana Duncan of Irvington recently broke ground on a $100 million affordable housing project in one of the most underserved neighborhoods in the East Ward of Irvington. According to Gothamist, the project would add multiple apartment buildings and houses and provide about 240 low- and medium-income families with homes. Nana is one of the first Black female developers to lead an affordable housing project of this magnitude in New Jersey and is a native of Ghana who moved to the United States for college in 2004. Nana has successfully redeveloped more than 500,000 square feet of blighted property, generating more than $200 million in development since opening her real estate firm. The project is estimated to take up to five years to finish.
2024 Essex County Holiday House Tour Returning This December
One holiday event locals should add to their calendars this year is the annual Essex County Holiday House Tour — a festive tour of 12 historical homes and sites all decked out for the holidays. This year’s tour will take place on Saturday, December 7th, and Sunday, December 8th in various Essex County towns including Montclair, Cedar Grove, Nutley, Bloomfield, Verona, and beyond. Click here for the details.
‘Italian American Educator Of Year’ Awarded To Newark School Official
Assistant Superintendent Carolyn Granato of Newark Public Schools was recently named Essex County’s 2024 Italian American Educator of the Year. A special ceremony took place, hosted by Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, where N.J. Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz presented the award to her. Senator Ruiz commended Carolyn for her dedication and contributions to education as well as creating a better learning environment for students, per Patch Newark. She highlighted Carolyn’s 34 years of service to Newark Public Schools which includes working as a classroom teacher, vice principal, principal, and supervisor before she became Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services.
Friends of the Nutley Public Library To Celebrate Giving Tuesday This Week
PHOTO CREDIT: Friends of the Nutley Public Library
Friends of the Nutley Public Library invite nearby residents to participate in GivingTuesday — which kicks off the generosity season and inspires us to give back to our community — taking place on Tuesday, December 3rd. According to a press release from the organization, the cause is supporting the Nutley Public Library by funding Summer Reading Programs for kids, museum and art passes, musical performances, author meet and greets, and learning new crafts and skills. Interested donors can visit the FRIENDS website or stop by and visit the Nutley Public Library at 93 Booth Drive.
Montclair Civil Rights Commission Recommends NJ Anti-Bias Training
The Montclair Civil Rights Commission has recently stated that township officials should seek anti-bias training from the state amid concern about police chaplain Kevin Dawud Amin’s social media posts and public comments. According to Montclair Local, local residents and the Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey said the posts promote “antisemitic conspiracy theories” — a claim disputes. Kevin, an imam at Masjid Al Wadud, defended his speech during a Civil Rights Commission meeting on Thursday, November 21st. The advisory body recommended anti-bias training starting with the Township Council.
Things to Do Between January 1-8, 2025 in Montclair + Northern NJ
2025 has officially arrived and we've got you covered with everything to do locally over the next few days in Montclair and Northern New Jersey by sharing our full events calendar for easy browsing while we're OOO until 1/6. Below is the linked list of Montclair and Northern New Jersey events happening from January 1st through January 8th, 2025. Don’t forget — you can also submit your events to our community guide HERE (we approve pending events daily).
Disclaimer: This is a community resource. Submit events HERE and view the full calendar HERE.
The Montclair Girl is not affiliated with hosting unless explicitly stated.
Usually, we put out a weekly events guide showcasing 100+(!!) events happening throughout the current week in Montclair, Essex County, and greater New Jersey. Since we're away until 1/6, we're changing things up a bit and linking our full events calendar so you can peruse all of the local events happening at your convenience.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR EVENTS CALENDAR
Don't forget — you can submit your own event at any time to our calendar HERE.
See below for a few other fun things to keep you occupied while we're away.
Best of Montclair 2024 Winners Announced
We asked, you voted + nominated. The winners for our Best of Montclair 2024 Guide are here! With over 75+ categories, see the restaurants, shops, hair salons, and other local businesses Montclair + Essex County locals favored this year.
The Montclair Inn | 27 Hillside Avenue, Montclair
Affordable housing for senior citizens that includes food, mobility access, WiFi, and more can be difficult to secure. For some time, the Montclair Shared Housing Association has been providing this opportunity while fostering a great community. All residents have access to a private bedroom, kitchen appliances, a semi-private bedroom, three meals a day, a laundry facility, wifi, and community space. While residents do have a monthly rental fee, services, and amenities are made possible in large part by donors. Learn more here.
Montclair Neighborhood Development Corporation | 228 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair
Recreation, community, + education are essential to childhood development. Through various programs, the Montclair Neighborhood Development Corporation is able to provide a positive environment for children in the community. The year-long program, Project Oasis, is broken up into two seasons + focuses on closing the achievement gap among African-American youth. These services are only made possible by the support of volunteers, mentors, + donors. Learn more here.
Toni’s Kitchen | 73 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair
Toni’s Kitchen is an organization that provides the community in need with food resources. Toni’s Kitchen now provides 20,000+ meals every week, which is an increase of 4,300 pounds per week since 2019. Because of the support of generous donors and volunteers, 800+ families are no longer worrying about the next meal. Learn more here.
Have an event you’d like to include? Submit it to our events calendar here. You can also email advertising@themontclairgirl.
To stay in the know with all the Montclair and Northern New Jersey happenings, follow @themontclairgirl on Instagram and TikTok, and sign up for our weekly newsletter that shares the top stories to your inbox here.
Have a great weekend, xo
