Council Meetings and New Website

Mayor Venezia's State of the Township Address can be viewed on the Township of Bloomfield Facebook page or WBMA-TV's website.

The Bloomfield Council will meet twice this month:

March 11 , Conference LEB Bldg. 7:00pm.

March 25 , Regular Chambers 7:00pm.

The Township has rolled out a brand new website layout , which is cleaner and more user friendly, based on feedback gathered from residents via public forums and a survey.

The Township of Bloomfield was ordered to do a revaluation for the 2020 tax year by the Essex County Board of Taxation. Please come to any of these three upcoming community meetings to learn about the process:

Wednesday, March 13 at 10:00am at Bloomfield Recreation Building, 84 Broad Street

Wednesday, March 13 at 7:00pm at Watsessing School, 71 Prospect Street

Saturday, March 23 at 10:00am at Bloomfield Middle School, 60 Huck Road

Petitions for Mayor and Council at-large can be picked up in the Municipal Clerk’s Office, 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.

The library has implemented its three year strategic plan , outlining its goals to create more educational and recreational opportunities for people of all ages, as well as expand its multimedia and ESL archives. Read the whole strategic plan here .

The Library has dozens of programs in March, including:



View our Adult Programs including Monday & Thursday Movies. Join a club to practice: Genealogy, Knitting, Bridge, Financial Education. Read with one of our book clubs, adult or children, call or check our website for topics. Children’s programs include: Storytimes & Crafts at 11:00am on Tuesdays & Fridays (Toddler Time), Wednesdays (Preschool) and Thursdays (Baby & Me – no craft). Additional storytimes held on site at Lovlee Art Studios & Shooting Star Dance Center. Click through to our website for more information on these programs and more!

Public Safety News

The Bloomfield Fire Department has received $3K in grant funding for fire prevention and safety education.

Bloomfield Fire Chief Louis Venezia advises residents to test their smoke alarms every month. If they’re not working, residents should change the batteries immediately. The BFD is happy to help residents mitigate the risk of fires in their homes, free of charge. Chief Venezia also advises family members to plan a fire escape route and practice the plan twice a year. If a fire occurs in your home, get outside and call 911 immediately. Chief Venezia encourages residents to call the Bloomfield Fire Department with questions any time, at 973-680-4153 , and follow these fire safety tips .

Bloomfield Community Police Officers want to host a private pizza party for you and your child. Apply online .

Coffee with a Cop brings residents together with members of Bloomfield's Community Policing Division. To sign up, email Lt. Zepeda or Officer Aponte .

Register your bicycle with the BPD , and help keep our communities safe by joining your neighborhood watch .

A report last month shows violent crimes decreased each of the past four years in Bloomfield, and are down 50% since 2014 .

Youth Recreation

Parents , are you looking for an evening to yourself? Want a night out on the town with friends or your spouse?  If your answer is YES then let the Bloomfield Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs Department handle the childcare portion of the evening.  Your 1st – 6th grader can interact with other children and staff while participating in a fun activity. In addition, we provide several food options with your $20 registration fee. March's activity will be a Clover Cookie Design, followed by an Egg Hunt in April . Special awards will be given to the winners along with a fun goodie bag to all participants!

Have some lightly used sports equipment that you or your children have grown out of? Do you have children interested in a sport for the first time but want to see if they like that sport before you buy equipment? Then the Bloomfield Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs Department’s Equipment Exchange Program is for you! Donate during regular business hours.

To acquire this free equipment, you must be a Bloomfield resident and visit the Civic Center during regular business hours Monday – Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm and Wednesday nights 6:00 to 8:30pm.

If you own a business and need a visible sponsorship opportunity, consider being a sponsor of Bloomfield Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs Department’s many public programs. For example, “Summer of Fun” is a collection of popular events including nine musical concerts in the parks, holidays celebrations including the Memorial Day Parade & Independence Day Celebration, the Hank Barlow Golf Outing, Family Campout and Family Drive-in. Other special events are scheduled in spring and fall. Multiple sponsorship levels are available. For details, email the Director at [email protected].

The Bloomfield Art League is celebrating its 88th year, and a $25 membership includes free courses like this month's Joy of Painting on Saturday, March 23 from 1:30-5:30pm. Also learn about the upcoming April and May art classes , also.

New this year, the Bloomfield Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs Department will administer two new programs for Middle Schoolers! Volleyball Open Court for boys on Monday nights will be held at the High School and Tennis Open Court for boys and girls on Tuesday afternoons at Clarks Pond South tennis courts. For more information please contact Tom DeSiervo at [email protected] or 973-743-9074.

Peppermint and Suburban Softball registration for girls in Grades 3-8 is now taking place. There is a $55 registration fee on or before March 8. After then, the registration fee is $60. Registrations will only be accepted up until Wednesday, March 13. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED to participate in evaluations/tryouts. Player evaluations will take place in a Bloomfield High School Upper Gyms on the following dates and times. Please wear athletic clothing, sneakers and bring your glove. All perspective players are urged to attend both evaluations.

Tuesday, March 12--Grades 5 & 6 – 6:00 – 7:30pm; Grades 7 & 8 – 7:30 – 9:00pm

Wednesday, March 13--Grades 3 & 4 – 6:00 – 7:00pm; Grades 5 & 6 – 7:00 – 8:00pm; Grades 7 & 8 – 8:00 – 9:00pm

Bloomfield Recreation Department’s Spring Program registration begins Wednesday, March 6. This season’s programs will include a wide variety of adult and children’s programming:

Adult Programs – Yoga Wednesdays and Saturdays, Pilates, Zumba Tuesdays, Sunset

Classic Training, and Qigong.

Children’s Programs – Art, Tumble Tots, Gymble Tots, Pee-Wee Baseball, Rookie League Softball, Kids Safe Martial Arts, US Sports Tennis, Baton, Hip Hop Dance, Tap and Ballet, Chef It Up, Minds in Motion, TEGU Challenge and more!

Recycling Guidelines, Tree Pickup

Please read this snow plow street listing to learn if you must move your car in the event of snow.

Paper Shredding Day, April 27, 9:00am-12:00pm. Available to Bloomfield Residents at the Board of Education parking lot, 155 Broad Street.

Big Truck Day is May 18 from 9:00am-12:00pm, in Shoprite Parking Lot, 1409 Broad Street

Many residents aren't sure what they can or cannot recycle, so read below, or print this attachment. RECYCLABLE: Bottles coded with #1, #2 or #5 on the bottom; Mixed Paper (Newspapers, Magazines, Junk Mail, Catalogs and Phone Books); Cans (Aluminum, and Steel, Tins Cans and Lids); Glass Bottles and Jars; Cardboard (Corrugated, Cereal Boxes, Clean Pizza Boxes, etc.); Clean Juice and Food Cartons.

NOT RECYCLABLE : Plastic Bags, Dirty/Greasy Pizza Boxes or Containers; Styrofoam; Shredded Paper; Pots, Pans and Small Appliances; and Plastic Contains and Plastic Ware (Bottles coded with anything other than #1, #2 or #5 on the bottom.)

For more information, visit the DPW Facebook Page or call 973-680-4127 . Their hardworking staff tries to respond to messages 7 days/week.

Health and Human Services is Here for all Residents

The Nursing Unit works extremely hard to provide excellent services to residents of all ages. Specifically, the Department is proud to hold Blood Pressure, TB Screenings, and programs for Women and Children. View the entire March calendar here. T here will be a free memory assessment screening Tuesday, March 5 from 10:00am-12:00pm at Town Hall.

See all Health and Human Services events and public information online.

Benefit Screenings

Social Workers will screen residents for eligibility in dozens of programs. Resources available in Spanish and English. Call 973-680-4017 to make an appointment.

The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT) of Essex County is hosting free Techniques of Alcohol Management (TAM) trainings for alcohol vendors from 11:00am to 3:00pm on Wednesday, March 6, at the Bloomfield Civic Center. TAM is an educational program developed by the licensed beverage industry in conjunction with liquor control, law enforcement, highway safety and substance abuse organizations. TAM participants learn how to prevent accidental over serving, the sale of alcohol to minors, violating liquor laws and more. For more information, contact Maya Lordo at 973-680-4022 or email [email protected] .

Health Beat, the Bloomfield Department of Health and Human Services’ radio show, recently began its 3rd season. The show airs on the last Monday of every month at 3:00pm on Bloomfield College’s internet-based station, WBCR Radio. It is hosted by assistant health officer Maya Lordo and health educator Lindsay DeStefano. The next episode, on March 25, will focus on nutrition. Listen live or access the archive episodes online at http://www.wbmatv.com/media-center.

Lead Testing at Home

The Bloomfield Engineering Department recently sent approximately 120 residents requests to sample for lead and copper. Participation is voluntary. To participate, please contact the Bloomfield Engineering Department at 973-680-4009 .

Culture, Arts and History in Town

The Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center has been providing community-based programs in the areas of historical interpretation, arts programs and education, horticulture and gardening, and recreation and cultural events for over 30 years.

Oakeside will host big events this month:

March 16 – “Murder at Mulligan’s Wake” murder mystery dinner at 7:00pm, admission $64.95, BYOB

March 17 – Bloomfield Mandolin Orchestra plays Irish and Italian music

at 2:00pm, admission $10, seniors/students $5. Please call the Oakeside office for reservations: 973-429-0960 .

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The Historical Society of Bloomfield, NJ (HSOB) is seeking active

members. Visit http://bloomfieldhistorical.org/membership.htm to download a membership form, or contact 973-743-8844 or email [email protected] .

On Tuesday, March 26 the HSOB will present “Iron Coffin Mummies of New Jersey and New York” at 7:30pm at the Bloomfield Civic Center. This FREE event will offer a holistic glimpse into the investigation surrounding the identity of a woman found inside a Fisk iron coffin that was disturbed by construction crews in New York City. Through forensic investigation with archaeology, biology and history, Archaeologist/ Anthropologist and Bloomfield resident Scott Warnasch identified the woman as an African American domestic servant who had died of smallpox in the early 1850s.

The Bloomfield Historical Society leads nature walks, museum trips, ice cream socials and more throughout the year. Local historical presentations/ meetings are held three times a year, on the fourth Tuesday of March, May and October at the Bloomfield Civic Center, 84 Broad Street.

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Founded in 1943, the Bloomfield Federation of Music is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization , a collective of five musical ensembles — the Civic Band, Chorale, Mandolin Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, and Youth Band — that serves musicians of all ages and experience levels, presenting up to 20 concerts each year.

The Bloomfield Youth Band, Patrick Burns, Founding Director, continues its 3 3rd Season on Saturday, March 16 at 8:00pm . Featured soloist will be Dylan Silverstein, tuba, and The Harrison High School Band, Danny Conde, Director, will be special guests. The program includes English Folk Song Suite (Ralph Vaughan Williams), They Hung Their Harps in the Willows (Francis Mc Beth),Choreography (Robert Sheldon), The Girl I Left Behind Me (Leroy Anderson), Trombone Rag (John Higgins), and The Old Grumbly Bear (Julius Fucik). For more information, visit www.bloomfieldyouthband.org. ***In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be presented on Friday, March 22 at 8:00pm in Bloomfield Middle School.

The Bloomfield Mandolin Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Enrico Granafei, will perform a concert for St. Patrick's Day and The Feast of St. Joseph on Sunday, March 17 starting at 2:00pm at the Oakeside Cultural Center, located on 240 Belleville Avenue. To RSVP, call 973-493-2473 or purchase tickets at the door. For more information about upcoming BMO events, please visit mandolin.bloomfieldfm.org or write to email [email protected].

The Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra, led by 19 year BSO veteran conductor Israel Herman, continues its 86th Season on Sunday, March 17, at 3:00pm in the auditorium of Bloomfield Middle School. The Winter Concert will feature the special guest appearance of internationally renown viola virtuoso Brett Deubner (bio here). The orchestra will perform the Somerset Rhapsody by Gustav Holst, the Viola Concerto in G minor by Cecil Forsyth, (Brett Deubner, viola soloist), and the Symphony No. 1 in D minor by Charles Gounod. For more information, visit www.bloomfieldsymphony.org .

The BFM’s 75th Anniversary Gala is taking place Sunday, May 2 at 7:00pm at Chandelier, 340 Franklin Avenue, Belleville . To RSVP or place ads for the gala, email [email protected].