It’s that once-every-four-years thing, and it’s happening next week. It’s Leap Day, and it means spring is closer than ever. 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: a Bloomfield dispensary celebrates its grand opening; Montclair students painted a mural in the library; and a tax credit plan will yield a $200 million benefit for downtown Newark. Read on for all the news in Essex County for the week ending February 25th, 2024.
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Among the Headlines:
Proposal Approved to Reduce Speed Limits in Montclair: What to Know
Buzz Aldrin MS Students Paint Mural at Montclair Library
Bloomfield Dispensary to Celebrate Grand Opening
South Orange House Fire Leaves Home Uninhabitable
46-Story Building Proposed for Downtown Newark
West Orange Special Olympian Wins Two Gold Medals
Out Montclair Celebrates Transgender Day of Visibility
Newark Arts Center Receives $200M in Tax Credits for Expansion
State to Distribute $95M in Opioid Settlement Funds
Arrest Made in Fatal Nutley Accident
Plans Announced for The Iris on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair
Jennifer Lopez to Perform at The Prudential Center
Two Appointed to Montclair Planning Board
Head of the Montclair Library to Step Down
Proposal Approved to Reduce Speed Limits in Montclair: What to Know
The Essex County Board of Directors has approved a proposal that will reduce the speed limits on county-owned roadways in Montclair. A stretch of road on Upper Mountain Avenue has now been reduced to a 25MPH speed limit from 35MPH. This is the first of several roadways that will be changed under a new agreement between Montclair Township and Essex County. Click here for more.
Buzz Aldrin MS Students Paint Mural at Montclair Library
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Students in Lauren Cirrito’s class at Buzz Aldrin Middle School in Montclair were asked to help create an ocean mural for the children’s department of the Bellevue Branch of the Montclair Public Library, per Patch. Students designed the mural to match the different depths of the ocean as it descends the steps of the branch library. Students worked together with their teacher to paint the mural in the space for all to see. A second, adjacent section of the wall will be painted to continue the underwater theme the following semester mural painting class.
Bloomfield Dispensary to Celebrate Grand Opening
The grand opening of Blue Oak Dispensary, located at 1025 Broad Street in Bloomfield will be Sunday, February 25th, 2024 from 12:00PM to 4:00 PM,per the Blue Oak team. By attending, patrons will have the opportunity to join the Founder’s Club, which entitles those members to 20% off their first purchase as well as every purchase thereafter (max $1,000). To RSVP, click here.
South Orange House Fire Leaves Home Uninhabitable
The South Essex Fire Department responded to a 2nd alarm house fire on Redmond Road around noon on Monday, February 5th, 2024. According to TAPintoSOMA, the fire caused an interior stairwell to collapse and required the mutual aid of the Orange, East Orange, Irvington, Union, and Milburn fire companies along with Neward FD who provided coverage at Maplewood and South Orange Fire Houses. South Orange Police Department assisted in safety and traffic control at the scene.
46-Story Building Proposed for Downtown Newark
The plans for a development in Downtown Newark, proposing a 46-story tower with 579 residential units at 200-204, 206-208 Market Street, are underway. In hopes of enhancing the current downtown area, the high-end building will also include the required 20% set aside for affordable housing, per TAPintoNewark. The proposal for Newark Summit Tower was described as a high-end tower that includes 11,537 square feet of retail space, 142 off-street parking, a pool, spa, gym, restaurant, and children’s playroom shared Daniel Spiegel, co-owner of the real estate developer KS Group.
West Orange Special Olympian Wins Two Gold Medals
West Orange resident Jordan Cohn won two gold medals at the Special Olympics New Jersey Winter Games, per TapInto. Jordan has been skiing for over ten years and won the gold medal in the Super G. His grandfather Charles Mays was an Olympic medalist in Track and Field in the 1968 games.
Out Montclair Celebrates Transgender Day of Visibility
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Out Montclair announced its next big event, A Transgender Day of Visibility Celebration (TDoVC), which will be taking place on March 23rd, 2024. The free event, which will take place from 10:30AM to 5:00PM will celebrate transgender individuals, raise awareness about discrimination, and highlight trans contributions to society and will be filled with speakers, panels, workshops, music, vendors, food trucks, and a concert by Bridges4Life.
Newark Arts Center Receives $200M in Tax Credits for Expansion
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center was awarded $200 million in tax credits to put towards additional apartments, performance + educational space, shops, and offices in the surrounding NJPAC area in Downtown Newark, per NJ.com. Of that $200M, the credits would help to construct a 360-unit, 385,000-square-foot apartment building which would include 10,500 office space, 12,600 square feet of retail space, and 53,600 square feet for retail. The tax credit would also help finance the Cooperman Center – a 53,000-square-foot Cooperman Center, which consists of an arts and education facility and the renovation of an existing Episcopal Church.
State to Distribute $95M in Opioid Settlement Funds
New Jersey communities will receive $95M over the next three years to expand addiction treatment services and to help fight the opioid epidemic. These monies are part of a $1 billion + settlement that pharmaceutical companies are expected to pay the State of New Jersey over the next 20 years to settle the lawsuits in their role in creating and funding the opioid crisis. Governor Murphy said “Importantly, half of that amount will go directly towards our counties and local governments so these funds can be spent quickly on the front lines of our communities,” in a news conference in Newark per the New Jersey Monitor.
Plans Announced for The Iris on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair
The plans for The Iris, located at 641 Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair, were announced and detail a 13,000-square-foot office space. The plans include 124,000 square feet of office space on the top three floors and 8,000 square feet of ground floor with mezzanine retail space as well as parking for 277 vehicles per Montclair Local.
Bloomfield Fire Department Celebrates Promotions and New Members
The Bloomfield Fire Department held a ceremony on February 12th where new members were sworn to the force and others were promoted, according to TapInto. Two Fire Captains were promoted to the rank of Battalion Chief, a firefighter was promoted to the rank of Fire Official, and three new firefighters were officially sworn into the force. Several awards were also distributed, including the 2023 Firefighter of the Year Award, which was awarded to Captain Frank Durantino.
Belleville to Host Rabies Vaccine Clinic for Dogs and Cats
Belleville pet parents can get their animals vaccinated and keep registrations current at an upcoming community event. According to Patch, a free rabies vaccine clinic will be held at Belleville Fire Headquarters, located at 275 Franklin Avenue, on Saturday, March 2nd. Dog and cat registrations will also be available, and no cash payments will be accepted.
No Injuries Reported in Montclair State Parking Deck Fire
A fire in the Red Hawk parking deck at Montclair State University closed the deck, impacting commuter students on Wednesday, February 26th. No injuries were reported in the incident, in which three cars were involved, according to Patch. School officials say the parking deck will be closed until further notice.
West Orange Fifth Graders Support the Community
Students from Hazel Elementary School in West Orange prepared lunches for Christine’s Soup Kitchen, which provides lunches on Saturdays. According to TapInto, the fifth graders observed food safety protocols as they set up an assembly line in the gym to prepare 60 lunches. The activity was part of a service project in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Historic Day for City of Orange Firefighter, First Black Chief
Derrick E. Brown was officially sworn in as the first black Fire Chief of the City of Orange at a ceremony in January, according to TapInto. Chief Brown is a 24-year veteran of the force. He celebrated by proposing to his girlfriend at the ceremony.
Two Appointed to Montclair Planning Board
Two new members have been approved for the Montclair Planning Board. Per Montclair Local, Geoffrey Borshof and Thamar Campbell are the new members. The recommendations were made during an executive session of the Township Council, and the resolution was filed with the town clerk on February 13th.
Head of the Montclair Library to Step Down
Janet Torsey, the head of the Montclair Library, has announced she will step down in July 2024. She has been the director since August 2022, after being interim director since December 2021, according to Montclair Local. Janet is a Montclair Local and recalls spending time in the library as a child. The library will conduct a search for her replacement.
Jennifer Lopez to Perform at The Prudential Center
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After a nearly five-year hiatus, Jennifer Lopez is set to take the stage again for her ‘This Is Me…Now’ tour. Per Patch, tickets will be available for presale for the JLo Fan Club starting Tuesday, February 20th, 2024 at 9:00AM with additional pre-sales throughout the week. Regular tickets go on sale starting Friday, February 23rd, 2024 at 10:00AM on Livenation.com.
Arrest Made in Fatal Nutley Accident
An arrest has been made in a fatal Valentine’s Day hit-and-run accident in Nutley. Per TapIntoNutley, The accident took place around 7:00PM when 22-year-old Winston ‘Bebe’ Perlaza’s vehicle was struck near the Garden State Parkway overpass on Milton Avenue. 42-year-old Dhkir Robinson was arrested and charged on Sunday, February 18th, 2024. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, operating a vehicle resulting in death with a suspended license and endangering an injured victim.
