Parking Authority in Disarray, CentroVerde Update, Marijuana Coming to Town, Teens Crash into Tree This Week

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Thousands of Dollars in Utility Bills Missing From Montclair Parking Authority

The Montclair Parking Authority may have $100,000 in missing uiltity bills, according to a report released this week.

A study of 10 years of records of the Montclair Parking Authority showed an agency in disarray – suffering from a lack of order in everything from its rules and regulations to its finances.

Montclair Store Gets Final Permit to Sell Medical Marijuana

The state issued the first medical marijuana permit in the state to the Greenleaf Compassion Center, located at 395 Bloomfield Ave.

CentroVerde's Affordable Housing Units Could Be Moved to Other Wards

The township council cast doubt on where the Montclair Center Gateway Project's affordable housing units will ultimately be built on Monday evening. 

By a unanimous decision, the council passed the first reading of an ordinance which could allow the developer of the six-story CentroVerde project to build the required affordable housing units off site.   

Park Sport Bar Has Liquor License Suspended

Park Sports Bar & Restaurant, at 30 South Park St., had its liquor license suspended last week for 30 days by the township council acting as the Alcoholic Beverages Control Board. The bar’s sentence began at midnight on Monday.

Montclair's Economic Outlook Points Upward

Montclair’s financial outlook is better than it has been in years, according to a recent report by Standard & Poor’s. 

The rating service reaffirmed both Montclair’s AA- rating and its economic outlook of stable on its debt earlier this month. Business Manager Marc Dashield said the recent rating could point toward a positive trend for Montclair.

Police: Two Teenagers Involved in Thursday's Car Crash

Montclair Police are releasing few details about a car crash Thursday evening that left a 17-year-old driver trapped for about two hours. 

Burglars Strike While Residents Sleep

Two homes in Montclair were burglarized recently while the homeowners were sleeping, according to the Montclair Police Department. 

A resident returned from vacation to find his home on Alexander Avenue burglarized, according to police. 

In other police news, a 19-year-old was also arrested last week for trying to cash a fraudulent check. 

The Music Man of Church Street

During these cooling autumn days, Gene Phipps Jr. is the man who fills Montclair's busy city center with the tenor of his saxophone. Restaurant-goers and passersby can see him throughout the week at lunchtime sitting on his favorite bench in front of Raymond’s Restaurant. 

Interim Superintendent Bids Farewell to District at Month's End

There will be a new superintendent at the next Board of Education meeting in November. 

Interim Superintendent Clarence Hoover oversaw his final board meeting on Monday night. His four-month term will come to an end on Nov. 1. 

Healthy Foods Served Up Daily in Montclair Schools

Education in Montclair now extends from the classroom to the lunchroom. 

Students at Charles H. Bullock School celebrated the start of National School Lunch Week on Tuesday with a visit from state Department of Agriculture officials and district administrators. The nationwide initiative is focused on education and offering students healthy choices in the lunchroom. 

Local landscape architect Chuck Baum stopped by the Garden Club of Montclair on Monday to discuss the artistic principals of landscape and garden design. Before his presentation, the Patch sat down with Baum to ask him a few questions.