Slight increase in ‘16 taxes: average home levy up $16

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield Township Council approved its 2016 municipal budget on Monday, April 18. A property owner with an average-assessed home of $270,700 will see an increase of $16 for the year. The total budget will be $78.7 million. The amount to be raised by property taxes is $58.6 million. The Bloomfield Public Library […]

Giveaway of school supplies in July, but register by May 9

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield Department of Health and Human Services, Human Services Division, will be participating for the sixth year in the Back 2 School Store for children entering grades K to five in fall 2016, which is sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section. The Back 2 School Store […]

High honor roll

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Six Department of Education NJ County Teacher of the Year 2016’ award recipients visited Oak View Elementary School last month to provide professional development credit to Bloomfield teachers. From left are Oak View Principal Mary DiTrani; Janice Marsili, Union; Cheryl Zanone, Morris; Chelsea Collins, Salem; Jessica Picciuto, Essex and Oak View; Brittany Bucco, […]

Comasco pleads guilty in fatal car crash

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Nicholas Comasco, 27, the Bloomfield resident behind the wheel of a speeding car that struck a car carrying Bloomfield High School junior Christina Lembo,16, killing her, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide on Wednesday, April 13, in Newark Superior Court before Judge Verna Leith. Charged with second-degree vehicular homicide, Comasco negotiated a prison term […]

Minor injuries as four-alarm fire in 3 buildings displaces 22

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A four-alarm fire involving three Charles Street buildings broke out Saturday, April 16. The location of the buildings are 42 , 44 and 46 Charles St. Bloomfield Fire Chief Joseph McCarthy said the cause was still under investigation. The fire call came in at 6:19 p.m., he said in an email. “All three […]

Church on the Green to celebrate 50th anniversary

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield Presbyterian “Church on the Green” will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Sunday, April 24, with a special service of worship in the chapel followed by a hymn sing and a reception in the Parish House. The church was chartered as a merger of “Old First Church” and three other area […]

Trial date scheduled for animal cruelty charges

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — According to Bloomfield Township Administrator Matt Watkins, a tentative trial date of May 26 has been scheduled in Bloomfield Municipal Court for Vincent Ascolese, the former director of the North Jersey Humane Society Shelter located in Bloomfield. Ascolese has been charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty. Ascolese appeared in court in early […]

Students to collect funds for Heart Association

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Spring vacation is under way this week for Bloomfield school children. On Friday last week, at Carteret Elementary, the students were visited by a representative of the American Heart Association. She hoped to drum up some enthusiasm from the children to solicit donations during a three-week long fund drive supporting the heart association. An […]

Animal Shelter seeking donations of shoes

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield Animal Shelter is conducting a shoe-collection drive through May 15. The shelter is partnering with WoofTrax and Funds2Orgs in this effort. Based on the number of pairs of shoes collected, the shelter can earn $1,000 or more, as Funds2Orgs will then purchase all donated goods. These dollars will benefit the […]

Town resident recalls his years as a German POW

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Some things you cannot forget, and Bloomfield resident Thomas Stivale, 96, a WWII Army veteran, has a diary almost 75 years old to prove it. Stivale kept a diary of his time in military service. Writing sporadically, he highlighted some of the events that immediately surrounded him, the people with whom he lived, […]