10 Most Read July Bloomfield Patch Stories

Man Killed by Bus ID'd as Montclair Student

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has identified the man who was killed by a NJ Transit bus July 20 as Deshon L. Johnson, a 22-year-old Essex County College student living in Montclair.  

A press release from the prosecutor’s office said, “The preliminary investigation indicates Johnson was rushing to catch the #709 bus to get to his job when he was struck and killed yesterday morning by a NJ Transit Bus in the vicinity of Broad Street and Bay. He was pronounced dead at 10:54 a.m.

Man Shot Sunday Was Athlete, Academic

Brian Schiavetti, 21, was shot and killed in  on July 22 in Montclair, an area not known for violent crime.

Schiavetti graduated from  (RHS) in 2009 after what appears to be a four-year attendance. He played on the Ridgefield Tigers football team in 2006 as a wide receiver and defensive back and was accomplished academically, achieving the RHS Honor Roll in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Bloomfield Man Hospitalized After Chase

A Bloomfield man was hospitalized July 13 after a high-speed car chase involving local and state police ended in a crash on Broad Street and Bay Avenue. 

Sergeant Pat Spatola of the Bloomfield Police Department said 42-year-old East Orange resident Anthony White was fleeing from Paramus police after an alleged shoplifting incident and racing down the Garden State Parkway a little before 3 p.m. with local police and state troopers in pursuit.

After White got off of the Bloomfield exit, Spatola said he raced down Broad Street and crashed into a black Silverado truck. Police said the Silverado, which was hit at the intersection of Broad and Bay, belonged to a Bloomfield resident, whom police did not identify. He was transported to HackensackUMC Mountainside Hospital with chest and neck injuries.

Letters of Intent Signed for New Development

A letter of intent has been signed by Metro Real Estate Development Corporation to lease retail space to a Foodtown supermarket and a Subway sandwich shop in Bloomfield’s new development, according to Principal Developer Bill Colgan.

“Subway will be opening up, and we’re negotiating right now for a lease with Foodtown,” Colgan told Patch at a recent meeting at his Broad Street offices. 

Is the Parking Authority on the Chopping Block?

The Parking Authority was a contentious subject at the July 16 council meeting, when residents protested excessive parking tickets, the tax burden of the new parking garage and finally, from Councilman Michael Venezia, the very existence of the Parking Authority itself.

“Whether it’s giving 12,000 parking tickets to residents or [incurring] debt . . . I plan to put it on the agenda to abolish the Parking Authority,” stated Venezia.  “It should be under township control.”

The meeting began when Bloomfield residents Russell Mollica, Carol Humphreys, James Wollner and Sue Ann Penna came forward to discuss the Bloomfield Parking Authority’s $9-million bond application hearing; specifically, the tax burden that would fall on Bloomfield residents as a result of the new parking garage in the new town development.

Heller Delays Bloomfield Development Again

After years of lawsuits and delays, the redevelopment of Bloomfield Center is facing yet another roadblock, according to Bill Colgan, Principal Developer of Metro Real Estate Development Corporation. 

New Jersey Developer Cary Heller has filed an appeal after his 2011 lawsuit against the township was rejected in May, Colgan said. The original lawsuit had stalled the township development for more than a year. According to Colgan, Heller’s case will next be brought before the Appellate court of New Jersey.

“He filed an appeal on his first lawsuit on July 3,” Colgan said at his Broad Street offices.  “I’m not surprised that he filed again."

Colgan added, “We feel his argument were meritless . . . We'll try to make progress despite the pending appeal.  We’re still legally empowered to continue working [on the redevelopment project].”

Mother of Six Displaced by Fire

A single mom with six children was forced to vacate her home on Sunday after a fire at 5 Ella Street rendered her home “uninhabitable.”

“Everything’s gone,” said Norma Coppedge in dismay, staring at the charred façade of the house while her children wandered on the sidewalk nearby.  “People are saying it will be a couple of months till we can go back home.”

The fire began at about 5:50 pm on the second floor of a multi-family home at Watsessing Street and Ella Avenue, when residents noticed flames coming up through the walls of the house.

“We were in the house having a birthday party when all of a sudden we smelled smoke,” recalled Tishobia Porcha, a visiting relative.

Manale Resigns Amid Controversy

Bloomfield Township Administrator Yoshi Manale has resigned from his position, apparently forced out of office by the township’s lawmakers. 

At a special July 2 meeting, the town council convened to discuss whether they would accept his resignation.  They did, by unanimous vote after the council gathered for a closed-door session.

Lawmakers declined to disclose the reason for Manale’s resignation. However, in an interview with Patch, Manale said he felt he was dismissed because he wanted more accountability for Bloomfield’s spending.  One target, he said, was the township’s Open Space Trust Fund, though he said he ran into opposition on various fronts from township officials throughout his 17 months on the job.

Mayor: $5 Million for Garage Will Reduce Debt

Bloomfield Parking Authority Attorney Joe Baumann introduced a resolution July 23 designed to show the people of Bloomfield that they, the town council and the Parking Authority were “all on the same team.”

The resolution, seeking to appropriate $5 million to help pay for the new parking garage in the town center --  -- was presented with an amendment that sweetened the deal for Bloomfield taxpayers.

“One hundred percent of the excess revenues the Parking Authority generates in a given year will come back to the township in perpetuity,” he explained. “I think that should address any concerns the township has about [the bond] being repaid.”

“We were going to get fifty percent,” Mayor McCarthy informed the council.  “Now we would get the whole one hundred percent.”

GSP Accident Leaves One Victim Critical

A multi-car accident on the Garden State Parkway on Monday morning caused at least seven injuries, one of them serious, according to Bloomfield Emergency Medical Technician Alex Burde who was at the scene.

Burde, who has worked with the Bloomfield Emergency Medical Squad for three years, said two victims were rushed to University Hospital in Newark, one with life-threatening injuries.  The other had a possible broken leg, he said.

SIGN UP FOR THE BLOOMFIELD PATCH NEWSLETTER

Click HERE to blog on Patch