DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Before you comment on April 5’s huge anti-Trump rally in Brookdale Park and April 8’s Township Council meeting, can you discuss the latest lawsuit that joined the long list of cases filed against Montclair’s school district and municipal government in recent years?
Sincerely,
Winnie Seeks the Skinny
The school district’s former mental health and anti-bullying coordinator claims the district fired her after she refused to suppress reports of harassment, intimidation, and bullying. Those three words form the acronym HIB — not to be confused with Hawaii is Bali, because those are two different islands.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
You don’t say. Does the plaintiff have a case?
Sincerely,
Or a Tote Bag
I of course don’t know the inside details, but this charge was serious enough to immediately charge my phone from 10 percent to 100 percent when I clicked on Montclair Local’s story about the lawsuit.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Sensitive phone. Any thoughts on the fact that many lawsuits have been filed against our town’s governing bodies the past few years? (To be fair, there were lots more legal issues during the 2020-24 Council’s term than the 2024-28 Council’s current term.)
Sincerely,
Tort A. Lini
Being a frequent defendant is not a hobby. An avocation? Perhaps. A divertissement? You’re lucky I’m not billing by word length.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Reminds me that overburdened taxpayers involuntarily fund the school district’s and the municipal government’s large legal-defense costs. When will it all end?
Sincerely,
I Bought the Law and the Law Won
H.G. Wells’ sci-fi novel “The Time Machine” depicts life on Earth ending in about 30 million years. The only thing remaining after our planet’s demise will be multiple new seasons of “The Simpsons.”
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Long-running show. Moving to April 5 in Brookdale Park, there were an estimated 8,000 people at the “Hands Off” rally opposing the cruelly regressive, authoritarian policies of the Trump administration. Comment?
Sincerely,
Dale Brook
One of MANY rallies that impressively drew an estimated five million participants nationwide. And, yes, our nation is wide, unlike Chile.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
The Township Council gathered three days later, and it was another marathon meeting: six-plus hours (including a long executive session). Your reaction?
Sincerely,
Many Minutes for the Minutes
Given that the meeting started at 7 p.m., it spilled from April 8 into April 9 — two days! That’s only 38 fewer days than the famous biblical rain.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Ohh-kay. Can you mention a part of the Council meeting that kind of evoked April 5’s Brookdale Park rally?
Sincerely,
The Montclair Connection
Mayor Renee Baskerville gave an eloquent speech about the destructive Trump administration and the need to oppose it. Her talk lasted five minutes — only 299 seconds longer than Trump’s attention span.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Later in the evening, the Council voted unanimously to introduce a “Complete Streets” policy to continue the ongoing work of trying to make Montclair safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. Good move?
Sincerely,
Legislative Avenue
Yes, a move confirming that the Council as well as the local Vision Zero task force are well aware of the traffic dangers residents face. I might add that “Complete Streets” pretty much rhymes — like “Slowed Roads.”
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Some details about the measure?
Sincerely,
Bring Them On
It includes hiring a “Complete Streets” director and forming an oversight board. Specific safety improvements done and/or in the offing? Better road design, traffic-calming elements, speed-limit enforcement, more stop signs, bollards, etc., etc. Bollards are short posts, unlike those published by wordy bloggers.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Can you discuss another unanimous Council vote on April 8?
Sincerely,
7-0? Oh!
A measure to expand the number of streets available for overnight parking (with drivers charged the usual permit fee). As one speaker said during public comment, every renter and homeowner in our town should have a place to park. Sure, there’s plenty of room in Wyoming for Montclair residents to leave their cars each evening, but that’s a long walk.
DEAR MONTCLAIRVOYANT,
Also, April 8 was the first Council meeting for new township manager Stephen Marks. I wish him luck in the job.
Sincerely,
New Street!
Me, too. His meeting debut was on the 51st anniversary of when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s lifetime home run record in Glenfield Park. Oops, that historic game was in Atlanta, where Montclair residents could also park their cars each night.
Dave Astor is the author of the MontClairVoyant. His opinions about politics and local events are strictly his own and do not represent or reflect the views of Montclair Local.
