The smells of wildfires are still lingering in North Jersey as November is in full swing. 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: renovations for The Bellevue Theatre in Montclair are underway; Montclair Flea Holiday Market announces its start date at newly-reimagined Lackawanna Station; and Bobbi Brown + Steven Plofker launch Williams Sonoma x The George Holiday Collection. Read on for all the news in Essex County for the week ending November 17th, 2024.

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Among the Headlines (read on for full stories):

• Renovations for The Bellevue Theatre in Montclair Underway
• Hashstoria in Newark Hosts Grand Opening
• Bobbi Brown + Steven Plofker Launch Williams Sonoma x The George Holiday Collection
• Essex-Hudson Greenway Hosts Open House, Aiming for 2025 Groundbreaking
• Montclair Flea Holiday Market Announces Start Date at Newly-Reimagined Lackawanna Station
• New Veterans Affairs Office Opens At Newark City Hall
• Essex County Teen Helps Take Care of Local Seniors With 'Manis For Grannies'
• Eataly Opens in Short Hills Mall
• State of New Jersey Declares Drought Warning
• Montclair Center BID Announces Annual Winter Wonderland Date

Renovations for The Bellevue Theatre in Montclair Underway

Photo Credit: RHG A+D Architecture + Design

The Bellevue Theatre, located at 260 Bellevue Avenue in Montclair, has been a small-town staple for quite some time. As the theatre opened in May 1922 and closed in November 2017, residents and theater lovers alike were concerned about the future of the vacant building. The Montclair Planning Board recently approved renovations for the building that will not only allow the reopening of the iconic theater but also add some space for retail businesses to thrive. Click here to find out more about the official future of The Bellevue Theatre.

Livingston Institute of Neurology Participating in National Study

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Makes A Surprise Visit at Clifton Target

@therock Landed in ✈️ New Jersey and popped into @target to surprise holiday shoppers and gave away a ton of free stuff - toys, @Papatui and even big screen TV’s Got crazy and energy was wild but it was amazing meeting everyone and all of us experiencing this kinda joy & fun together ❤️‍ #target #surprise #papatui #clifton #newjersey ♬ original sound - The Rock

Actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made a special appearance at the Clifton Target on Sunday, November 10th, to promote his Papatui line of men’s personal care products. According to NJ.com, he was there for giveaways of skincare and other products at the store, including TVs and toys. The 52-year-old is also promoting the release of his holiday action film Red One (which released on November 15th) and the upcoming sequel, Moana 2, which releases Thanksgiving weekend.

Livingston Girl Scout Raises Awareness About Senior Dogs

As part of her quest to attain a Gold Award — the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve —Helena Drakulich of Troop 20290 in Livingston is working with several local shelters and rescue organizations to bring awareness about older dogs. Helena has worked with East Hanover’s Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter, Rosemarie’s Rescue Ranch in Verona, and St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison as part of her advocacy. According to Patch Livingston, she spent this past summer and early fall distributing informational fliers that she created about senior dogs at community pet fairs, including Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter’s Pet Palooza, Barktoberfest at The Turtle Back Zoo, and other local events. Helena recently spoke at the Livingston Senior Community Center, sharing the positives of older dogs as potential companions. She hopes to complete the hours she needs for her Gold Award sometime after the new year and plans to study animal science or zoology in college. Senior dogs over seven years old are reported to be among the most abandoned pets and the least adopted.

Wildfires Take Over New Jersey

The smokey smell in the air has been caused by the several wildfires that have burned across the state, including in Passaic, Bergen, Ocean County, and more. Over the past week, seven wildfires have spread across New Jersey, six of which have reached sufficient containment levels. Click here for what MG knows about the wildfires in New Jersey, including details about which fires have been contained, the cause of the fires, and statewide restrictions.

Happy Gilmore 2 Still Casting N.J. Locals

'Happy Gilmore 2' is still casting New Jersey locals — but this time, they're looking for people who resemble pop culture figures who have passed on since the original movie was released. According to NJ.com, Grant Wilfley Casting is seeking people who resemble Frances Bay, Bob Barker, Richard Kiel, and Tom Petty for a Thursday, December 5th, filming date. More details about the castings can be viewed here and on this site.

Martha Stewart Recalls New Jersey Upbringing in Netflix Documentary

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Martha, the nearly two-hour investigation into the life and legacy of cultural icon Martha Stewart, was recently released on Netflix. Though Martha has spent most of her life in Connecticut, her story starts here in the Garden State, being born in Jersey City and raised in Nutley. Martha gives more than one shout-out to her New Jersey roots throughout the documentary — among a host of other quotable moments — and as Jersey Girls ourselves, we couldn’t help but feel proud. Click here for a brief rundown of Martha Stewart’s New Jersey story and her newest Netflix documentary. 

Montclair Council Criticizes Extended Free Holiday Parking

Montclair officials are scrutinizing the township’s tradition of giving away free on-street parking during the holiday season. The Township Council on Tuesday, November 12th, tabled a measure that would suspend street meter collections and allow for up to two hours of free parking from November 30th to January 5th. The Township used to have a shorter free holiday parking window but free holiday parking was extended to start in late November and run through early January in recent years. The township’s parking utility budget projects Montclair will collect $1.5 million in meter fees this year, marking an approximately 15% increase from 2023, per Montclair Local. A proposal is to be considered again when the council meets on Tuesday, November 26th.

Hashstoria in Newark Hosts Grand Opening With Special Guests

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hashstoria, one of RHG’s cannabis projects located at 799 Broad Street in Newark, hosted its grand opening on Wednesday, November 13th. The event was hosted by Raekwon, Charlamagne Tha God, and Bakari Sellers, as it extended a heartfelt thank you to the City of Newark. Local officials, residents, and community members who helped make this vision a reality were also in attendance. Hashstoria is a cultural mosaic where music, activism, legal expertise, and passionate enthusiasm converge. It is open from 11AM-7PM daily.

Newark’s Police Force Welcomes New Director + Chief

Bobbi Brown + Steven Plofker Launch Williams Sonoma x The George Holiday Collection

Photo Credit: Beauty Evolution

To add to this year's holiday shopping list is Williams Sonoma Home x The George — a collection by Bobbi Brown and her husband Steven Plofker in collaboration with Williams Sonoma Home. The collection launched this past week on Tuesday, November 12th. Williams Sonoma Home x The George features curtains, pillows, bedding, rugs, frames, leather boxes, barware, and desk accessories, among other items. Customers can expect the vibes of this collection to include masculine aesthetics, British motifs, and dogs. Click here for MG's scoop on Bobbi Brown’s collaboration with Williams Sonoma Home.

New Mentorship Program Launches At Newark High School With Help From Famous Musicians

Essex-Hudson Greenway Hosts Open House, Aiming for 2025 Groundbreaking

On September 15th, 2022 Governor Phil Murphy announced that the state of New Jersey had officially acquired a former rail line and would be converting it into a massive greenway, which will stretch from Essex County to Hudson County. This almost nine-mile linear state park, which starts in Montclair and runs to Jersey City, will serve as a recreational path for bikers and walkers — as well as provide necessary green space to a variety of communities. Per NJDEP’s website, groundbreaking for the Newark section of the Essex-Hudson Greenway Project is expected to take place in 2025. The Newark section of the Greenway will span 0.8 miles from Branch Brook Park to Broadway. Click here for what to know about the plans for the Essex-Hudson Greenway.

Essex County Recognizes 4 Local Residents For Veterans Day 2024

Montclair Flea Holiday Market Announces Start Date at Newly-Reimagined Lackawanna Station

Montclair's Lackawanna Station will reopen as a commercial environment to highlight some of the area’s most talented artists, artisans, food, and local businesses. Located at 1 Lackawanna Plaza in Montclair Center, the reimagined Lackawanna Station will transform from an abandoned 100,000-square-foot strip mall into a bustling attraction dedicated to the arts, local entrepreneurs, community connection, and economic growth. The Montclair Flea Holiday Market will officially open on Saturday, November 30th, and run every Saturday and Sunday from 11AM-6PM just in time to kick off the holiday season. This holiday shopping extravaganza will bring together local merchants, featuring a mix of food and drinks, music, art, and shopping with a NYC flea market feel. Click here to find out more about the newly transformed Lackawanna Station in Montclair.

New Veterans Affairs Office Opens At Newark City Hall

The Office of Veteran Services recently opened in Room B-13 on the bottom level of Newark’s City Hall at 920 Broad Street. The office is intended to inform veterans of their eligibility for benefits related to health care, education, homebuying, disability income, and other areas provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA. The City Hall office will be staffed jointly by employees of the city and the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, or MAVA, a state agency whose main function is to help veterans navigate the federal VA’s large bureaucracy and pretty complex paperwork, per NJ.com. The VA and the MAVA have regional offices in Newark, which are in the same building at 20 Washington Place, but officials believe that the new office will have more visibility while residing in a more familiar place to Newark residents.

Essex County Teen Helps Take Care of Local Seniors With 'Manis For Grannies'

Bloomfield Town Council Seeking Replacement

Sesame Street 'Learn + Play Center' Opens At American Dream Mall

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Prestigious Exhibit In Cuba Picks To Showcase SOMA Art Teacher’s Painting

Art educator B. Curtis Grayson, III of Columbia High School has been selected to participate in the prestigious African Cuban “Bienal de la Habana” in Havana, Cuba. The Havana Biennial, organized by the Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center, is an important event that 'explores the balance between tradition and modern life, the challenges of communication in a tech-driven world, and the energy of urban culture,' per Patch Maplewood. Selection for the Biennial is highly competitive, with curators choosing artists whose work speaks to global themes and cultural dialogue. These themes also resonate with B. Curtis's own artistic practice and teaching philosophy.

Eataly Opens in Short Hills Mall

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Eataly, the well-known Italian restaurant and marketplace, made its debut at the Short Hills Mall on Wednesday, November 13th at 3PM. It is located on the first floor of the mall, near Bloomingdales’, in the space that formerly held Mercado. The 17,000+-square-foot space features one restaurant + bar that houses 230 seats, several quick-service counters serving coffee, pastries, gelato, Roman-style pizza, + paninis, and a retail section with imported Italian and regional delicacies including fresh pasta. Click here for everything we know about Eataly's arrival in New Jersey.

State of New Jersey Declares Drought Warning

Governor Phil Murphy and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced on Friday, November 13th, that the State is declaring a Drought Warning as New Jersey continues to experience historically low precipitation, above-average temperatures, and deteriorating water supply conditions and gave an update on the significant increase in wildfires over last year. Since the start of 2024, nearly 1,300 wildfires have burned over 11,000 acres while the average number of fires per year since the year 2000 has been 1,071 wildfires and 4,000 acres burned, per a press release from NJDEP. The goal of a Drought Warning is to preserve and balance available water supplies in an effort to avert more serious water shortages in the future.

Montclair Center BID Announces Annual Winter Wonderland Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Montclair Center BID's annual Winter Wonderland is back for Small Business Saturday on Saturday, November 30th, from 12PM to 4PM. This festive day will be filled with shopping, live music, crafts for kids, character appearances, and more. According to a press release from the organization, the first 100 guests will receive a free Small Business Saturday tote bag and the chance to win a $100 gift card to a local business of their choice.