Former Township of Bloomfield administrator Joseph Barry was a "Depression-era baby," born in 1931. His has been a rich, rewarding life, and he has given back to his hometown of Bloomfield many times over, serving as a township councilman for seven terms over 19 and 1/2 years. He now stays active by doing a lot of gardening in the rear of his Elm Street home, which was built in 1824 and sits right down the road from the historic Bloomfield Church on the Green. Barry and his wife of 57 years, Patricia, have eight children: Patsy, Joseph, Theodore, Nancy, Eileen, Jane, Kathleen and Betsy. The …

It's the most wonderful – and busiest – time of the year at Anthony's Cheesecake in Bloomfield. Co-owners of the beloved Washington Street shop Anthony Lauro and Philip Byrne stepped out of the kitchen Tuesday to talk holiday desserts, what they're thankful for this Turkey Day and more for Patch's "Five Questions With" column. What Thanksgiving dessert is everyone ordering from your store? No surprise here: Lauro and Byrne said pumpkin cheesecake is their biggest seller this time of year, with sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie not far behind. How many orders have you racked up for Thanksgiving…

You know the roll call of legendary names when it comes 1,000-point scorers in Bloomfield High School boys basketball history: Alaa Abdelnaby, T.K. and Kelly Tripucka (who scored more than 2,000 points), Ted Jasieniecki, Paul Lape and a few other names come to mind. For the inaugural "Five Questions With" column, we’re flipping the coin, and visiting with the first female 1,000-point scorer for BHS, 1988 graduate Dana Morton, who cracked the century mark in her senior year. She finished her Lady Bengal career with 1,198 points, was recognized as one of the best players in Essex County and New…