A plastic bag ban introduced and pushed by the Montclair Environmental Commission has passed its first hearing. Well on its way to becoming law, Montclair merchants are still unaware of the implications of the legislation and the changes it will bring. On Tuesday, June 25th, both the town council and town residents alike began a […]
Within the past week, an ordinance addressing the ban on single-use plastic bags, put forth by the Montclair Environmental Commission (MEC) was released. Under the proposed ordinance, the MEC is attempting to limit the use of plastic bags that do not comply with certain criteria. The proposed ordinance is now looking to require that all […]
52 years ago, during a firey time in the United States and around the world, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made a controversial visit to this very town, possibly at the peak of his notoriety. Just two years prior to his assassination and untimely death, King arrived in Montclair, making town history by stopping into […]
In recent months, the future of the facade of downtown Montclair has created a buzz around town. The recent revisions and discussions surrounding the 256 Park Street property, the building at the corner of Walnut and Forest streets (pictured above), and other business district properties have started a conversation regarding the historic and thematic architecture […]
Montclair Residents and the Rest of Essex County Took to Their Polling Places in Droves This Past Tuesday. June 5th marked the primary election for many races in New Jersey, and around the country, just ahead of the much anticipated 2018 Midterm elections in November. Across the state, many were closely watching the New Jersey […]
Juvenile diversion programs offer a better alternative to incarceration while building stronger communities and better citizens. America’s criminal justice system serves several purposes. It is used to punish criminals, to protect innocent people from becoming victims by removing dangerous criminals from the streets, and also can give some comfort to victims. But the justice system […]
As the federal government returns local budgetary control back to Montclair, Montclairites must decide to self-fund the Community Policing Initiative. As jobless claims drop to their lowest level in 45 years and as income tax rates have recently fallen, more Montclairites are working and their collective take home paychecks are a little larger. With less […]
The Memo released by Washington this week shows us that Washington is also a place where people like to see things go their way. In every community for eons there has always been, and will always be groups of people who like to see things go their way and are willing to try and make […]
New Jersey is leading the country on bail reform with a well thought-out system to ensure public safety has yielded a 16 percent drop in the jail population with NO increase in crime rate. In 2016 alone, the Federal Bureau of Investigations estimates that law enforcement agencies made over ten million arrests. On the surface, […]
Montclair Police Department prevents $500,000.00 loss in revenue for local merchants with aggressive ticket and tow campaign during the January 4th snowstorm. Editors note: Two years ago The Montclair Dispatch covered a similar storm on January 26, 2016, regarding Essex County’s failure to clear the snow in the parking lanes during that storm. You can […]