June has quickly arrived on this beautiful weekend of weather. 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 new Indian spot, Dhamaal, opens in Montclair; another Hoover Avenue deli closes in Bloomfield; and JevRapha Massage Spa opens in West Caldwell. Read on for all the news in Essex County for the week ending June 2nd, 2024.
Have a news story or press release? Email it to [email protected].
Among the Headlines:
- New Indian Spot, Dhamaal, Opens in Montclair
- Longtime Chair of Montclair Planning Board Steps Down After 29 Years of Service
- Another Hoover Avenue Deli Closes in Bloomfield
- Montclair Student Earns Finalist Spot in Doodle for Google Contest
- Beloved Montclair Postmaster Retiring After 38 Years
- $3M Softball Field Renovations at Branch Brook Park Now Complete
- NJ Food Bank Raises $1M+ in Newark
- New Robot-Assisted Tech Aids Montclair Hospital
- JevRapha Massage Spa Opens in West Caldwell
- Porta Montclair Opens Second-Floor Outdoor Deck
New Indian Spot, Dhamaal, Opens in Montclair
While Italian and American food can be stereotypically known as the most popular in the Montclair area, there are plenty of other cuisines that adorn local streets and deserve just as much attention and praise. Take Dhamaal — an Indian restaurant located at 11 South Fullerton Avenue in Montclair that just opened on Friday, May 10th — as a great example of an establishment that takes both its cultural roots and the unfamiliar customer into consideration with its menu, and is already welcoming both kinds of patrons as a result. Click here to learn more about the newest addition to Montclair’s international culinary scene.
Family Launches GoFundMe After Mother of 2 Killed in Car Crash
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched on behalf of Maria Dolores Ganzhi Zhao who was killed in a car crash in Maplewood last month. The funds will be used to help the family cope with funeral expenses and for Maria’s surviving daughters, a 7-year-old and a 9-month-old, per Patch Newark. The crash took place on the 1400-block of Springfield Avenue in Maplewood at 9:10AM on Monday, May 13th. The driver allegedly stopped at the scene and has not been charged with a crime as an investigation continues. Individuals interested in making a donation can learn more online here.
Longtime Chair of Montclair Planning Board Steps Down After 29 Years of Service
John Wynn, chair of the Montclair planning board, is stepping down after 29 years of service. According to Patch Montclair, he was sworn in as a member in 1995. John’s last meeting was Monday, May 20th where he received a round of applause. He was also presented with a plaque honoring his “hard work and dedication as chair throughout the years by the board and town administrators. The Montclair Planning Board consists of nine members and two alternate members.
Bloomfield Township Awards $100,000+ Grant for Clean Communities Initiatives
The New Jersey Clean Communities Council (NJCCC) and the state Department of Environmental Protection recently awarded Bloomfield Township $111,770 to support the township’s ongoing efforts to create a more sustainable community through various environmental initiatives. Clean Communities grants provide essential funding to local governments, enabling them to organize volunteer cleanups, purchase necessary cleanup equipment, and more to promote a “litter-free NJ.” According to TAPInto Bloomfield, the township looks forward to utilizing the grant to further its commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement. The public is advised to stay tuned for more ways to get involved in the coming months.
Another Hoover Avenue Deli Closes in Bloomfield
Benny’s Deli Café, located at 220 Hoover Avenue, has closed up shop after opening earlier this year. The owners announced the closure via social media on Thursday, May 23rd. This is the second business to recently close at the address, per Patch Bloomfield. In 2023, Colmont’s Deli also announced its closure.
Montclair Student Earns Finalist Spot in Doodle for Google Contest
Vivian Modawer, a student at Watchung School in Montclair, was recently declared the New Jersey winner of the 16th annual Doodle for Google art contest. According to Montclair Local, K-12 students from across the country were asked to create Doodles based on the prompt, “My wish for the next 25 years…” Vivian is now qualified to become one of five national finalists deemed the national winner. The winning artist gets a $55,000 college scholarship, a $50,000 tech package for their school, and their art featured on Google.com. The national winner will be decided by public voting, now open online through June 4th.
Lackawanna Plaza Redevelopment Approved as Montclair Council Allocates $6M
The new Lackawanna Plaza redevelopment plan was finally approved with a 4-1 vote by the Montclair town council at its May 23rd meeting. The Clary Anderson Arena (part of Lackawanna Plaza) was awarded $6 million unanimously due to much-needed repair issues, per Montclair Local. This decision was also taken into consideration after concerns about parking and the development’s size being “out of character” with the township were brought up as well as two lawsuits being filed that raised issues of potential flooding.
Latinos of Montclair Hosting Fireside Chat + Book Signing With Luis A. Miranda Jr.
View this post on Instagram
Latinos of Montclair is set to host Luis A. Miranda Jr., an advocate of the Latino community and father to songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, at the Montclair Art Museum. The ticketed event will take place this afternoon, June 2nd, from 2PM-4PM, and includes a fireside chat with MSNBC’s Alicia Melendez and a book signing for his new memoir, Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That Is Transforming America. Attendees are encouraged to buy tickets online in advance as there is limited seating. More information can be found on the organization’s website.
Newark Students Picked to Display Artwork in Essex County Government Complex
A total of 48 students ranging from elementary- to high school-aged were recently chosen to display their artwork at the Essex County Government Complex. Sixteen of those students hailed from Newark’s Abington Avenue Elementary School, East Ward Elementary School, Link Community Charter School, and Newark Vocational High School. According to Patch Newark, the first-floor lobby of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Building was transformed into a student art gallery throughout March and April. It’s the 17th year that the county has partnered with the Art Educators of New Jersey to highlight student artwork at the complex.
Beloved Montclair Postmaster Retiring After 38 Years
Alan Meyers, a postmaster at Montclair’s Watchung Avenue post office, has retired as of the end of May after 38 years on the job. Alan started his career working with the United States Postal Service at Montclair’s main post office on Glenridge Avenue. After the post office permanently closed due to a deadly shooting in March 1995, he applied to move to a new post office on Watchung Avenue, per Montclair Local. Alan was the one who unlocked the doors on February 26th, 1996. He’s worked in the post office alone for the last 20 years; in that time, he only took sick leave once for three months when he fell off a ladder. Alan has a mission to visit all the national parks in his retirement as he’s an avid traveler.
More Trees to Replace Asphalt at Several Bloomfield Schools
Facility work to plant trees and replace asphalt through the Bloomfield Public School District will occur in the coming weeks. According to Patch Bloomfield, Superintendent Salvatore Goncalves said that the trees will be allotted at the Early Childhood Center, Berkeley, Brookdale, Cartaret, Demarest, Fairview, Franklin, Oakview, and Watsessing schools. This comes in an effort to provide kids with a shadier place to play and to create “a more vibrant community.”
$3M Softball Field Renovations at Branch Brook Park Now Complete
A renovation project at Branch Brook Park’s baseball and softball fields has been completed as of Tuesday, May 28th. The area behind the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, known as the “Three Diamonds,” includes a full-size baseball field and two Little League/softball fields that underwent some new improvements. The renovations included new fencing, landscaping, covered dugouts, and more. The upgrades won’t disturb the historic elements of the park, per Patch Newark.
NJ Food Bank Raises $1M+ in Newark
The Community Food Bank of New Jersey recently raised more than $1.36 million at its annual Blue Jean Ball 2024 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark. According to Patch Newark, the funds raised equals roughly four million meals and will be used to “tackle the ‘root causes’ of hunger in the Garden State.” The food bank was first headquartered in Newark after its incorporation in 1982.
Outdated Traffic Signals to be Replaced at Dangerous Montclair Intersection
The traffic signals at the intersection that sits at Bellevue Avenue and Park Street are getting rebuilt after the town council passed a resolution in April. It could be up to 10 months before the lights are put in place, per Montclair Local. The intersection lacks the mast arm and gantry configuration that positions traffic lights over the center of the road in order to increase visibility. Instead, there are four 12-foot poles with traffic lights at each corner so it can be hard for drivers to see the lights until they are almost at the intersection. There have been a total of 28 collisions in six years at this intersection.
New Robot-Assisted Tech Aids Montclair Hospital
View this post on Instagram
Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center successfully completed its first bronchoscopy procedure using a new robot-assisted piece of medical technology on April 30th. According to Patch Montclair, the procedure utilized the Ion Endoluminal System, which is described as “cutting-edge robotic-assisted technology designed for minimally invasive lung biopsies.” The hospital states that early detection and treatment, which is the leading cause of cancer deaths, is critical in combating lung cancer.
JevRapha Massage Spa Opens in West Caldwell
JevRapha Massage Spa, located in the Exquisite Classic Salon Suites at 750 Bloomfield Avenue in West Caldwell, hosted its grand opening on Saturday, June 1st. Its mission is to provide customers with the “ultimate relaxation and rejuvenation experience,” according to its latest press release. The spa’s services include massages infused with Happy Hand and Happy Feet treatments and hot stones.
Porta Montclair Opens Second-Floor Outdoor Deck
View this post on Instagram
In July 2023, it was announced that Porta Montclair, located at 499 Bloomfield Avenue, received the green light on a new project — a second-floor outdoor deck for outdoor dining. The new outdoor space is now open for Montclair locals, just in time for summer. Click here for more about what MG knows about the new rooftop space at this MTC locale, and what we love about Porta.
Montclair History Center Donates to Hungarian Museum Dedicated to Artist Munkácsy Mihály
The Montclair History Center (MHC) recently donated to the Munkácsy Mihály Museum in Békéscsaba, Hungary several programs from the artist’s U.S. exhibits in 1886 and 1887. The programs include professional opinions about the paintings and are important references for contemporary art historians in the industry. These programs and many items have been permanently archived by MHC and researched by MHC staff, interns, and volunteers. According to a press release from MHC, a press conference hosted by the Hungarian museum celebrated the donation and produced multiple articles in the local press, including, “The world’s largest Munkácsy collection has been enriched with American treasures.” Before deaccessioning the Shultz home, all items in the house were carefully reviewed by MHC for their relevance to the Shultz family, the period of significance of the home, and/or the history of Montclair.
Milk N’ Cookies to Open in Montclair
View this post on Instagram
Milk N Cookies, a cookie cafe and cereal bar, is officially slated to open on June 7th at 1PM, located at 43 Church Street. It serves up a decadent menu of stuffed cookies, milkshakes, ice cream, and other dessert vehicles for cereal. Click here for what we know about Milk N Cookies, the latest sweet shop to arrive in Montclair.
10 Black Historical Figures From Northern New Jersey
North Jersey is and has been home to a multitude of notable Black figures — from singers to athletes to politicians. These individuals have greatly impacted our culture and state, setting records, breaking barriers, and lending a helping hand. This Black History Month, The Montclair Girl is highlighting several Black men and women with connections to Northern New Jersey. Read on to learn about 10 Black historical figures with roots in Northern New Jersey.
Althea Gibson (1927-2003)
View this post on Instagram
Althea Gibson, a tennis and golf player, was one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line in international tennis. She was born in South Carolina in 1927 to Daniel and Annie Bell Gibson, sharecroppers on a cotton farm. At 12, Althea became the New York City women’s paddle tennis champion. During the 1940s, she continued to win a variety of tennis competitions, proving just how talented she was. In 1949, she entered Florida A+M University on a full athletic scholarship.
Read More: Essex County’s Women of the American Revolution
In 1950, Althea became the first Black athlete to receive an invitation to the US Nationals, now the US Open. In 1951, she won her first international title at the Caribbean Championships in Jamaica. In 1956 she became the first African American person to win the Grand Slam and the following year she won Wimbledon and the US Open. After winning at Wimbledon, she became the first champion to personally receive the trophy from Queen Elizabeth. Althea won both of these events again the following year.
On a local note, Althea began directing women's sports and recreation for the Essex County Parks Commission in the 1970s. In 1976, she was appointed New Jersey's athletic commissioner, the first woman in the country to hold such a role. However, she resigned after one year for a variety of issues such as budgetary oversight and inadequate funding. She also managed the Department of Recreation in East Orange.
Overall Althea won 11 Grand Slams. Upon returning home from the UK, she became the second Black American, after Olympian Jesse Owens, to receive a ticker tape parade in New York City. Althea passed away in 2003 in East Orange, New Jersey, and is buried in Rosedale Cemetery. In 2013, the U.S. Postal Service issued the Althea Gibson stamp seen here.
Donald Milford Payne Sr. (1934-2012)
View this post on Instagram
Donald Milford Payne Sr. was the first African American to represent New Jersey in Congress. Born in 1934, Donald graduated from Barringer High School in Newark. He completed his B.A. at Seton Hall University and later did graduate studies at Springfield College. His political career began in 1972 when he was elected to the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders. In 1982, he was elected to the Newark Municipal Council where he served three terms. Six years later he was elected to Congress representing New Jersey’s 10th district. His son, Donald M. Payne Jr., was president of the Municipal Council of Newark, an Essex County Freeholder-At-Large, and was elected to fill his father's seat in Congress on November 6, 2012. Donald passed away in 2012.
Eloise Alma Flagg (1918-2018)
View this post on Instagram
Eloise Alma Flagg was the first African-American woman to be a school principal in Newark and the first African-American principal in a racially integrated school in Newark. The Alma Flagg Elementary School in Newark is named in her honor.
She was born in 1918 in Virginia to Hannibal and Caroline Williams. She spent most of her time in Newark, attending East Side High School, Newark State College (now Kean University), Montclair State University, and Columbia University. In 1942 she married J. Thomas Flagg Jr.. The following year, she became one of 16 black teachers employed by Newark.
In 1963, she was appointed vice principal at Garfield Elementary School and eventually was appointed principal of Hawkins Street School, becoming the first African American female principal. In 1967, she became assistant superintendent in charge of Newark's curriculum services, which lasted until 1983. However, her work for education did not end there. Eloise established the E. Alma Flagg Scholarship Fund for Newark residents and became active in the Newark Preservation and Landmarks Committee. Eloise passed away in 2018 and was buried in Bloomfield’s Glendale Cemetery.
Ibtihaj Muhammad (1985-)
View this post on Instagram
Born in 1985 to Eugene Muhammad and Denise Garner, Ibtihaj Muhammad, was raised in Maplewood. She began fencing at 13 at Columbia High School and later got involved with the Peter Westbrook Foundation, a program for underserved communities in the New York area. She attended Duke University and studied International Relations, African + African-American Studies, and Arabic. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Ibtihaj became the first American woman to compete in the Olympics in hijab, the first Muslim-American woman to win an Olympic medal, and the first Black woman to win an Olympic medal in the sabre event (a fencing discipline).
James Howe
View this post on Instagram
James Howe was the first African-American and the first formerly enslaved person in Montclair to own a home. There is a misconception that since New Jersey was a Northern state and part of the Union Army, slavery did not exist in the Garden State. In fact, according to the 1860 US Census, at least 43 people were listed as enslaved. These people ranged from as young as 11 to as old as 95 and were enslaved in North and Central Jersey, with almost 40% in Bergen County. At the time, only one person, Will Van Winkle, was enslaved in Essex County. Born in 1791 he was enslaved by the Van Winkle family of Belleville. The preservation of the Howe House is an important reminder of slavery's legacy on both a local and state level.
James was enslaved by Nathaniel Crane and manumitted in 1817. Jean, also enslaved by Nathaniel, was manumitted that same year. When Nathaniel died in 1831, he willed $400 and six acres of land to James. Upon that land stood a home built in 1780. Today, that home is located at 369 Claremont Avenue. James most likely had a wife named Susan and two children.
Many historic Montclair homes have been lost to time and the Howe House was almost one of them. Since 2022, the Friends of the Howe House, a non-profit, has been committed to preserving this historic house and an important piece of local Black history. Before that, the home was nearly demolished in 1932, when the township issued a summons to the owner. The home needed serious repair and was considered a danger to the community, but was saved.
John A. Kenney Jr. (1914-2003)
View this post on Instagram
John A. Kenney Jr. was born in Tuskegee, Alabama in 1914 to John A. Kenney Sr. and Frieda Armstrong Kenney. His father joined the Tuskegee Institute, later becoming a medical doctor. His mother attended Boston University and later taught at the Tuskegee Institute. The family, threatened by the Ku Klux Klan, moved north to Montclair in 1923. John attended Montclair High School and later graduated from Bates College and Howard University.
John worked as a dermatologist and taught at Howard University. He specialized in the study of skin disorders affecting racial minorities and was one of the first African-American doctors to receive formal training in dermatology. He remained a practicing dermatologist in Washington, D.C. until 1999 and passed away four years later.
Kenneth Allen Gibson (1932-2019)
View this post on Instagram
Kenneth Allen Gibson was an American politician and the first African-American mayor of a major city in the Northeastern United States. Kenneth was a member of the Democratic Party and was the 36th mayor of Newark from 1970 to 1986. Although born in Alabama, Kenneth was raised in Newark and attended Central High School. He studied civil engineering at Newark College of Engineering (now New Jersey Institute of Technology) and later worked for the New Jersey Highway Department and Newark Housing Authority. In 1970, Kenneth was elected in a runoff election against incumbent mayor Hugh Addonizio. He served as the first New Jersey mayor and African-American president of the United States Conference of Mayors from 1976 to 1977. Kenneth passed away in 2019 and during that same year Broad Street in Newark was designated Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson Boulevard to honor him.
Marion Thompson Wright (1902-1962)
View this post on Instagram
Marion Thompson Wright is noted as the first African-American woman to earn her Ph.D. in history. Marion was born in 1902 in East Orange to Minnie Thompson and Moses R. Thompson. She attended Barringer High School and was one of two Black students there. Marion attended Howard University, where she received a B.A. and later an M.A. in History and Education. In 1940, she graduated from Columbia University with a Ph.D. Her dissertation, "The Education of Negroes in New Jersey," focused on the state of education for Blacks and its consistently segregated and unjust schools. Marion’s dissertation and a plethora of research she did for the NAACP were used for the arguments in 1954 Brown v. Board of Education, a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that ruled that state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality. Marion passed away in 1962.
Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990)
View this post on Instagram
Born in 1924, Sarah Vaughan was raised on Brunswick Street in Newark and was an active member of New Mount Zion Baptist Church. She attended East Side High School and transferred to Newark Arts High School when it opened in 1931. Vaughan was a jazz singer notable for her songs “Misty” and “Black Coffee.” She passed away in 1990 and was buried at Glendale Cemetery in Bloomfield.
See More: How These Three Hobokenites Made History in Honor of Black History Month
Whitney Houston (1962-2012)
View this post on Instagram
Whitney Houston was one of the best-selling artists of all time. Not only is she the only artist to have seven consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, but she also acted in and produced movies. Born in 1962 in Newark, Whitney and her family later moved to East Orange after the 1967 Newark riots. Whitney came from a musically-rich family: her mother Cissy Houston and cousins Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick were music sensations. In her youth, she sang for her church choir at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark. She also attended Mount Saint Dominic Academy in Caldwell for high school. In 1993, Whitney gave birth to her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown. Whitney passed away in 2012 and is buried at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield.
