Get Bloomfield's new reverse 911 system
Swift911 is coming to Bloomfield on March 7, replacing Code Red, the township's long-time community notification system. Residents and businesses will continue to be informed in emergencies. But now, you can also choose to receive notices about:
* Targeted events, i.e., water main breaks or utility outages in specific neighborhoods.
* General municipal information, i.e., recycling, garbage, taxes, or health department programs.
SWIFT911 will deliver pre-recorded messages to the entire community via telephone, cell phone, email or text, depending upon your delivery preferences. To sign up, text SWIFT911 to 99538.
Recreation programs for kids and adults
Family excursions and spring programs like the following are on tap from the Bloomfield Recreation Department.
- ADULTS - Yoga (Wednesdays and Saturdays), Pilates, Zumba (Tuesdays), Crossfitness, Spartan High-Impact Training, Sunset Classic Road Race Training.
- CHILDREN - Art, Crime Scene Investigation Workshop, Tumble Tots, Gymble Tots, Pee Wee Baseball, Rookie League Softball, Karate, US Sports Tennis, Baton, Hip Hop and more.
Learn more , including new excursions.
Tax season scams abound
As if the dread of tax season were not enough on its own, related cyber crimes abound. Bloomfield Police offer ways to avoid the fraudsters - strengthened passwords, digital trash precautions and more. Learn more
4th Wall presents 'Songs for a New World'
Come see a contemporary musical revue staged by 4th Wall Theater at the Westminster Arts Center (Bloomfield College). Stories/songs feature emotional life moments ranging from the deck of a 1492 Spanish sailing ship to the ledge of a contemporary New York City skyscraper. Tickets: $25. Discounts for students and seniors. Friday, March 11, 8 p.m. Sunday, March 13, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Details at www.4thwalltheatre.org.
Morris Canal glory days in the spotlight
For a century, the Morris Canal stretched from Phillipsburg to Jersey City (the Delaware to the Hudson) transporting commerce and enthralling people with its technological marvels.
Come see the slide show that has generated enthusiastic audience acclaim and contemporary understanding of Bloomfield's economic ties to the canal. The show of historic photos and maps will be screened on Tuesday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Bloomfield High School auditorium (160 Broad Street).
The event is free and open to the public. Details at www.hsob.org, 973-743-8844, or email info@hsob.org.
Bloomfield Public Library
973-566-6200 * www.bplnj.org
Take "A Musical Journey through the 1950s & 1960s" with Gerard and Diane Barros, the husband/wife, keyboard and guitar duo specializing in two-part harmonies. The show takes place at the library on Saturday, March 12 at 2 p.m.
The Library Book Club will review "The Beekeeper's Apprentice," by Laurie R. King, on Monday, March 7, at 6:45 p.m. The book is said to be "the first and best" in a popular series that borrows on the Sherlock Holmes legend "without mockery or slavishness." The retired Holmes, now a beekeeper, encounters a 15-year-old American orphan named Mary Russell, whom he trains as a consulting detective.
Try out for 'Big Fish'
4th Wall Theater in Bloomfield will hold open auditions for all roles in its June 2016 production of "Big Fish," a Tony-nominated show written by John August. The show will be presented at Westminster Arts Center at Bloomfield College. Rehearsals will begin in April, and six June performances are scheduled.
Auditions will be Monday and Wednesday, March 28 and 30, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Westminster. For details, call (609) 284-3222, or email info@4thwalltheatre.org.
Acclaimed artist offers free demo
Watercolor artist Marilyn Rose, whose juried art shows receive consistent critical acclaim, will demonstrate her art form on Sunday, March 6 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bloomfield Civic Center. All are welcome; entry is free. Rose uses the natural world as a starting point to document her own inner and outer journeys. She holds a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis, and has studied with contemporary watercolor masters including Mel Stabin, Charles Reid, Jean Uhl Spicer, and Marge Chavooshian. For more about Marilyn Rose, visit bloomfieldartleaguenj.com.
Find out about Art League classes offered this spring.
Go Green! with Greener Bloomfield
Gardeners hold season kickoff party at Pulaski Park Community Garden (corner of Howard and Mt. Vernon) Saturday, April 2, 1-4 p.m. Master Gardener Florence Rollino will offer info and take questions.
(Rain date Saturday, April 9)
Details on Facebook
for a garden plot
at Pulaski Park Community Garden. $50 for a 4x8-foot plot. Water on site. Details on Facebook. Or look for a garden contract and FAQs under Township Engineering.
Join Greener Bloomfield
Help organize Earth Day and other projects to renew Bloomfield's certification with Sustainable Jersey.
Meetings are held at 7:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month at the Civic Center, 84 Broad Street. Details on Facebook
Seniors: You asked for it, you got it!
In response to demand for more senior citizen programs, here's
what's in store from your Recreation Department in March:
* Senior Exercise
* Shopping Trips to Target
* St. Patrick's Day Lunch at the Town Pub
* Senior Citizens Club Meeting
* Bus Trip to the Brownstone in Paterson
Bloomfield kids celebrating birthdays can register for a Facebook or Twitter shout-out from the Bloomfield Police. Each month in 2016, officers are randomly choosing one child among all interested first to sixth graders. The winner gets a private pizza party with one or more officers during school lunch. To register, visit the Community Policing web page .
Stairs or elevators? Which will you take?
"Walking up stairs burns almost five times more calories than riding an elevator." So say some of the new signs posted in six buildings across Bloomfield College. The school has closed ranks with the Bloomfield Department of Health and Human Services, which, last year, placed similar signs at Town Hall and the Civic Center.
So what's next? How about historic pictures of Bloomfield hanging in Town Hall stairwells? They're coming soon as another enticement to take the stairs.
Ten different health screenings offered
The Bloomfield Public Health Nursing Office will conduct 10 different health screenings in the month of March. Many are free or require a nominal fee. Learn more
March municipal meetings
* Town Council conference meeting, March 7, 7 p.m., Law Enforcement Building, room 205.
* Bloomfield Safety Council, March 10, 11 a.m., Civic Center, 84 Broad Street.
* Town Council regular meeting, March 21, 7 p.m., Council Chambers, Municipal Building,
second floor.
E-BUZZ Editor Robin Patric | 908-823-9001 | rpatric@comcast.net