Appeal of train station property is under way

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — An appeal by the township of a June 3, 2016, jury verdict which valued the historic train station property on Lackawanna Place at $2.9 million commenced in Trenton this past Tuesday morning, Feb. 13. The appeal was heard at the Superior Court of NJ, Appellate Division. The township, which condemned the property and […]

‘for colored girls…’ brings black sisterhood to Maplewood

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — This weekend, 4th Wall Theatre and the Burgdorff Center in Maplewood will kick off a new partnership in a theatrical celebration of Black History Month. The theater company will perform Ntozake Shange’s groundbreaking play “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf.” This show — a “choreopoem” — […]

Give Kids a Smile provides free dental care for youth

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Give Kids A Smile Day, a national American Dental Association effort to provide children with free oral care on the first Friday of February, was observed Friday, Feb. 2, in Bloomfield and Glen Ridge at two venues. In Bloomfield, 24 children were given an exam, cleaning and fluoride treatment at KinderSmile Foundation and […]

BPD holds promotion and appointment ceremony

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield Police Department promoted 10 officers and appointed 14 new officers at a ceremony held at St. Thomas Church on Friday, Jan. 26. Lts. Gary Peters and Vincent Kearney were promoted to the rank of captain. Peters, formerly in charge of special operations, will now be commander of patrols. Kearney, who headed […]

‘The New Kid’ takes the stage at Watsessing school

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The George Street Playhouse Players returned to Watsessing Elementary School on Friday, Feb. 2, with “The New Kid,” a play about bullying and acceptance of differences. The 45-minute show was performed by a four-member troupe that last visited the school in December with a musical about healthy eating. As with the musical, the […]

Third-grader to perform at Carnegie Hall

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A Brookdale Elementary School third-grader will play Carnegie Hall on Monday, Feb. 12. Cooper Manning, 8, achieved the distinction by winning second place in the Elite International Competition at Caldwell University last month. He will play a piano solo from “The Adventures of Ivan,” by the 20th-century Russian composer Aram Khachaturian. There are […]

Firefighters union files complaint against the township

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A whistleblower’s complaint has been filed against Bloomfield on behalf of Bloomfield FMBA Local 19, the union representing a majority of the Bloomfield Fire Department firefighters. A co-plaintiff in the complaint is Eugene Cantelme, the Local 19 president. The complaint was filed Jan. 19 in Newark Superior Court. It alleges that the township […]

Precautions being taken to ward off the flu virus

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — It has been a harsh flu season. Michael Fitzpatrick, the health officer for the Bloomfield Health Department, said a flu is made up of two proteins: hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. The notation for the particular strain this season is H3N2. “It likely started in another part of the world among pigs and chickens,” Fitzpatrick […]

Bloomfield’s town judge may face ethics hearing

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — An ethics complaint against Judge Wilfredo Benitez, the chief Bloomfield municipal judge, has been filed in the state Supreme Court. The complaint stems from his alleged conduct while being arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated, a charge for which he was acquitted in Bergen County Superior Court. Benitez is also a Belleville […]

Town resident has artwork displayed in NYC exhibit

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A former Demarest Elementary School student now attending the Purnell School, in Pottersville, will have a work of art shown at the Child Mind Institute, 445 Park Ave., NYC. Nia Lewis, a high school senior, painted “Atlas” as an assignment. Along with the works of several other Purnell students, it will be displayed […]