UPDATED: When Do You Plan To Trick Or Treat?

BY  |  Wednesday, Oct 31, 2012 4:53pm  |  COMMENTS (11)

“We will not let Sandy take away our fun or our candy!” ~ Ella

Governor Christie has officially postponed Halloween and trick or treating until Monday, November 5. Glen Ridge has agreed, saying Monday is the day. Montclair is saying Saturday, November 3 is the time to go knock on doors.

Montclair just sent out the following info on trick or treating:

Dangerous conditions remain on many on township streets. The Township of Montclair is following Governor Chris Christie’s executive order and asks residents to postpone Halloween trick-or-treating activities to Monday, November 5. In addition, the Township asks that residents participate in trick-or-treat activities between the hours of 12:00 Noon and 5:00 p.m., when daylight allows greater visibility. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Some families are going out tonight, anyway.

Old Man Whipple‘s house in Montclair is a go tonight too.

When do plan to go trick or treating? Take our poll:

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Kids Help Out Montclair Town Council

BY  |  Wednesday, Oct 31, 2012 1:28pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

While Mayor Jackson and the rest of the Montclair Town Council are busy getting things done, these kids are taking over. Or at least pretending to!

(Photo: Liz George)

UPDATED: Hurricane Sandy School Closures & Updates: Day Four

BY  |  Wednesday, Oct 31, 2012 10:26am  |  COMMENTS (6)

“HALLOWEEN CANCELLED” sign going up in Glen Ridge

UPDATE: 10/31 at 5:30 pm

No news of power on for those who lost it due to Hurricane Sandy, but there are options for families needing to get out, eat, re-charge and more. Check back often, as we’ll update throughout the day:

School Closures for Thursday, November 1 AND/OR Friday, November 2:

Public Schools

Montclair Public Schools: Closed both Thursday and Friday
Bloomfield Public Schools: Closed both Thursday and Friday
North Caldwell Public Schools:  Closed both Thursday and Friday
Wayne Public Schools: Closed Thursday
Millburn Public Schools:  Closed both Thursday and Friday
West Orange Public Schools: Closed Thursday and Friday
South Orange – Maplewood Public Schools: Closed both Thursday and Friday
Nutley Public Schools: Closed both Thursday and Friday
Passaic Valley High School: Closed Thursday
Summit Public Schools:  Closed both Thursday and Friday
Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools: Closed Thursday
Verona Public Schools: Closed both Thursday and Friday
West Essex Regional Schools:  Closed Thursday

Private Schools

Park Street Academy in Montclair: Closed both Thursday and Friday
Montclair Community Pre-K
Lacordaire Academy in Montclair:  Closed both Thursday and Friday
Kent Place School:  Closed both Thursday and Friday
Newark Academy in West Orange: Closed Thursday
Immaculate Conception High School In Montclair: Closed Thursday
Playhouse Nursery School in West Orange:  Closed both Thursday and Friday
Mount Saint Dominic Academy:  Closed both Thursday and Friday
Montclair Cooperative School:  Closed Thursday
MMO Programs in Montclair:  Closed both Thursday and Friday

Colleges and Universities

Rutgers will close the rest of the week
Bloomfield College closed for the rest of the week.
Caldwell College: Closed Thursday
William Paterson University:  Closed Thursday
Montclair State University will be closed for instructional purposes through Sunday, November 4. The campus will be fully open on Monday, November 5
Essex County College closed the rest of the week

CHILDCARE HELP: The YMCA of Montclair is offering Emergency School Closing Camp on Thursday, November 1st and Friday, November 2nd for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. The program is designed for working parents that are in need of care for children that are off from school due to the storm. Fee:  Y Member $50.00 per day     /  Non Member $ 60.00 per day. Children should bring a lunch, bathing suit, swim cap and towel. To save time please click here to download the registration and emergency information forms. The completed forms will be collected with your payment at the time of drop off.  Forms will also be available at drop off, but please give yourself a few extra minutes to complete these important requirements.

Schools Open on Thursday, November 1

Montclair Kimberley Academy
St. James Preschool in Monclair
Glen Ridge Public Schools: 2 hour Delayed Opening, but BoE advises that Linden Avenue families dress appropriately, as they are working on the heating. They also advise to be careful on certain streets.

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Hurricane Halloween 2012

BY  |  Wednesday, Oct 31, 2012 7:00am  |  COMMENTS (0)

UPDATED: Hurricane Sandy Halloween School Closures and Cancellations

BY  |  Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 9:53am  |  COMMENTS (8)

UPDATED: 10/31 6:45 am


Due to power outages, we’re doing our best to update. However, we won’t be able to update as quickly as we normally do. Check Twitter if you can and leave comments to let others know if you have updates. Thanks and be safe! 

More school closures announced for Wednesday, October 31—Halloween. This is Day 3 of school closures.

Check our list often, if you have internet and/or power, as we’ll be updating throughout the day.

The following schools and/or businesses will be CLOSED on Wednesday, October 31:

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Hurricane Sandy: The Day After

BY  |  Tuesday, Oct 30, 2012 9:09am  |  COMMENTS (0)

Good morning Baristaville. Hopefully, despite power outages, you’re all safe.

We can tell you now that Montclair High School has power, but we won’t know about school closings until later. If you have access, check back.

We will be Tweeting and posting on Facebook as well, so if you have a phone, follow us there.

Hunkering Down For Hurricane Sandy, Minus Our Go-To Weather Geek

BY  |  Monday, Oct 29, 2012 6:05pm  |  COMMENTS (2)

In August 2011, our family was stuck in Los Angeles when our flight to New Jersey was delayed for three days because of Irene. After reaching neighbors who volunteered to put our patio furniture in the garage, we realized there wasn’t much more we could do from 3000 miles away. Anyway, I was secretly thrilled to have more time in Southern California; who wouldn’t be, especially after our hotel tossed in complementary buffet breakfasts and extended our bargain rate.

My husband and I sketched out plans to spend one day in Malibu, another at the Grammy and Science museums, and a third poking around like the most awe-shucks tourists: driving past stars homes and down Rodeo Drive and buying goofy tee-shirts. This all sounded good to our 13 year old son, but not his 17 year old brother.

My older son, you see, is a weather geek, at the time about to start applying to the country’s top meteorology colleges. He was not happy about another three days in sunny SoCal when back home, the only major hurricane in New Jersey in his lifetime that he’d likely remember would be raging. He was doubly upset, in fact, because the week before he’d missed a rare East Coast earthquake.

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Tips On Easing Your Child’s Fears During Hurricane Sandy

BY  |  Monday, Oct 29, 2012 12:04pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

We offered you Hurricane Survival Tips For Parents, which included some tips for easing your child’s fears about a hurricane. But if you’re anything like me, you are experiencing a lot of anxiety and stress at the moment. Imagine how your little ones feel. My husband gently reminded me that my reactions greatly influences our kids, so I had to calm myself down.

I’m trying not to get too caught up in news coverage. I’m keeping our routine as close as possible and taking breaks doing something to take our minds off of Hurricane Sandy. We’re cooking, playing board games and snuggling on the couch—lots of snuggling. Anything that will help us all reduce our stress.

Here are some great resources for parents on reducing your child’s fears about Hurricane Sandy:

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Old Man Whipple Ain’t Afraid of No Hurricane

BY  |  Monday, Oct 29, 2012 9:00am  |  COMMENTS (2)

Hurricane Sandy has already ruined Dr. Wayne Gangi’s annual Halloween creepy decorated corner on Grove Street in Clifton, but Old Man Whipple of Montclair, isn’t giving up yet.

Old Man Whipple’s House is a Montclair Halloween tradition. The house is scary, but Old Man Whipple has a heart. He collects donations at his annual Haunted Walk for good causes. This year, he has teamed up with Montclair High’s CGI club to benefit Toni’s Kitchen.

When I first heard of Old Man Whipple’s House, I imagined some creepy old, hunchbacked man living in a decrepit house. Today, Barista Kids will reveal what Old Man Whipple really looks like. Are you ready for the big reveal?

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UPDATED: Hurricane Sandy School Closures & Event Cancellations

BY  |  Sunday, Oct 28, 2012 11:22am  |  COMMENTS (10)

UPDATED on 10/29  at 4 pm

10/29 at 4:47—Montclair calls it—closed Tuesday, October 30

Halloween storm déjà vu. I never thought I’d be writing another school closure story in October, but Sandy, aka Frankenstorm has done it.

Check our list often, if you have internet and/or power, as we’ll be updating throughout the day.

The following schools and/or businesses will be CLOSED on Monday, October 29 and/or Tuesday, October 30:

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