Commuters, Residents Send Open Letter to NJ Transit

Schedule problems persist for South Orange station riders

An open letter to NJ Transit provided to Patch: Mr. James Weinstein NJ TRANSIT Corporation One Penn Plaza East Newark, NJ  07105 Re:  South Orange Train Station Village Schedule   Dear Mr. Weinstein: As NJ Transit customers and community stakeholders, we are contacting you to collectively reiterate and emphasize the importance of restoring acceptable levels of service to the South Orange train station — specifically those that existed before the latest schedule change that took effect on October 14, 2012. Your latest accomplishment of being able to restore all commuter train service to New York to pre-Hurricane Sandy levels is to be commended. Despite the extensive damage caused by this storm to your rail cars and trains, you were able to …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

The Board of Education and Promises Broken

Local Voices from Adam Kraemer.

Chicago-Style, Dipped Italian Beef Arrives in Essex

New restaurant serves up a taste of the Windy City—dipped Italian beef sandwiches—plus healthier versions of comfort food.

The newest Essex County entry to the restaurant scene stands out for dishing out fare that's fast, fresh and also unique to the area. Red’s, which opened at 800 Bloomfield Ave. in West Caldwell, on Monday, introduces Chicago-style, dipped Italian beef sandwiches to our North Jersey palates.  Owner Barbi Ellen Newman, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, started out working at the Ritz Carlton and Le Perroquet Restaurant in the Windy City. When Newman returned to her native Jersey, she had much success with her Verona-based catering business, Mardi Gras. After selling Mardi Gras and spending time recently as a personal chef, she envisioned the concept of comfort food made healthier and reentered the retail world with Red's. The Italian…

• Photos (3)

Pack a Lunch With a Healthy Punch

This mom around town is planning back to school lunches and has some tips to share.

In the spirit of the new year and resolutions galore, we're looking at interesting, healthy lunch box options. Add yours below:   Peanut butter and jelly gets boring. Nutella has been a great backup especially paired with some strawberries, but that gets old too. Regardless, both options will be in my pantry for busy mornings but I need some more interesting solutions. Do you have any good lunch box ideas? I asked around and some other moms shared their tips with me. Elise S., mom of two, told me how she brightens up peanut butter and jelly or tuna sandwiches with a little trick. “I sometimes cut them into different shapes with cookie cutters or use a little gadget that cuts the sandwich into a circle with no crusts.” Kids love the “no …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Loren Svetvilas

9:30 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013

Janet, great topic and well versed article. I appreciate touching on the environmental impact the lunch's packaging can have. I teach in an elementary school, and spend time in the lunchroom with K-5 kids. It's horrific not only what some kids bring to lunch, but at how their lunches are packed. (Of course, there is always the child who gets my compliments for bringing a reusable water bottle, …   more ›

Letter to the Editor: Coach Galioto Deserved Better

Resident expresses outrage about the recent dismissal of varsity softball Coach James Galioto.

To Concerned West Orange Community Members: As a parent of two daughters that played varsity softball under Coach James Galioto, I find it outrageous that he was inexplicably not recommended and rehired as head softball coach at West Orange High School. He was notified of his termination on Christmas Eve. Happy Holidays! He has worked for many years building a losing program into a consistently winning one, rebuilding the middle school program, providing winter clinics for elementary students, and assisting in coaching fall and summer travel team activities for his players. He was also named Essex County Coach of the Year recently. This move is outrageous and irresponsible. Were his players and their parents consulted on this decision? Am …

•  16 Comments
• Photos (2)

Photographing Your Lights by Night

Tips and tricks on how to take better pictures of those festive holiday lights at night

For many, the holidays just wouldn't be complete without Christmas lights adorning their homes. If you own a digital SLR (digital camera) and want to be able to show off your home and holiday lights, here are some tips and tricks to getting a good picture at night to share with family and friends who may not be able to see your work of art in person. Plan ahead of time: The last thing you want to do is to be running in and out of your house because you forgot something. Gather up everything you need before you go out so you have more time to enjoy experimenting with night photography. Additionally, keep in mind what time you will be taking pictures and weather conditions. Having the backdrop of dusk on your house and holiday lights will …

• Photos (2)

A Teacher Reflects, Plans for Monday and Beyond

Teacher and father, Doug Weisberger considers recent events, plans for future

Tomorrow will be a difficult day. Just like after 9/11, when we welcomed children back to school, who had friends and neighbors who had suffered a tragic loss, we will once again be taking special care of your children. Your children’s teachers are “first line responders” in the sense that they look out for your child’s emotional and physical well-being. I can only imagine that the teachers and administrators who lost their lives Friday did not think about doing something heroic, but acted on their instinct to protect the children; Just like each of you would risk your life for your child. As we look into your children’s eyes tomorrow, we’ll be checking to make sure that they feel safe and secure. I know that the school and the district …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Holiday Shopping: Spending Limits For Kids’ Presents?

How much is too much to spend on children and teens? We want to hear your thoughts!

As the holiday shopping season goes into full swing, some people are maxing out their credit cards to pay for presents and others are setting budgets and sticking with them. Scour just about any Facebook stream or stop in a local coffee shop and chances are you’ll hear parents debating the merits of setting spending limits. Or, you'll hear them lamenting about just how much they've already spent. The ideas for a perfect limit do seem to vary rather greatly. Some parents say $100 per child is more than enough. Others tend to lean toward much more generous figures. After all, there’s nothing like seeing a child’s eyes light up as they unwrap gift after gift. And that’s what we want to hear from you about, West Orange! Do you set spending …

• Photos (1)

Letter to the Editor: Officers in the Library

Letters to the editor can be sent to scott.egelberg@patch.com, marciaw@patch.com or carolyn.maynardparisi@patch.com.

Re:  The Library During a recent visit to the West Orange Public Library I was saddened to see a police officer stationed in the main reading room.  Instead of investing in much needed infrastructure and capital improvements, including a resolution of the historic Edison site, it would appear that we need to deploy public safety officers in the reading room.  I am not aware of the history or the safety needs for the deployment.  What concerns and disappoints me is the obvious decline in the values and respect for each other which has apparently resulted in this utilization of our scarce human resources. In light of the holiday season, I would suggest that we rethink how to respond to these issues considering even the use of auxiliary …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

Frelinghuysen Letter Thanks 11th District Voters

Republican congressman applauds constituent's efforts that helped get him re-elected.

I am writing to thank the voters of the 11th Congressional District for supporting my re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.  I am pleased now to represent many new constituents in Essex, Passaic and Sussex Counties in January.  My heart goes out to those who are in need and to so many who were able to vote Tuesday and keep their community and America strong, despite incredible obstacles.  Our focus in Congress continues to be jobs and the economy, getting people back to work, government “out of their way,” lowering taxes, and creating a climate where small businesses can survive and flourish. That effort needs to be bipartisan.  I am grateful to the voters of the new 11th Congressional District who have allowed me to continue …

•  13 Comments
• Photos (1)

Gene Osso

4:12 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

In other words, you voted to make the United States of America be like France, Spain and Greece. Working out really well so far.   more ›