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Township of Bloomfield

Township of Bloomfield's Latest Articles

“Watsessing Walk” from Watsessing Park to the Bloomfield Public Library to take place Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 4:30 pm
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Press Releases
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August 26, 2020

A socially distanced walk from Watsessing Park to the Bloomfield Public Library is set to take place on Tuesday, September 1 at 4:30pm. Everyone that completes the walk will be given a $10.00 voucher from the Bloomfield Health and Human Services Department to redeem at the veggie truck set up at the library. “This walk will be a terrific opportunity for residents to get some fresh air and learn about eating healthy,” said Mayor Venezia. “I would like to thank our Health and Human Services Department for planning this walk along with the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition.” The walk is being led by Liz Brady, from the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition in partnership with the Bloomfield Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. She will discuss healthy eating and healthy recipes that can be made with the vegetables provided by the veggie truck. “With residents spending so much time indoors over the past few months, I am excited that we were able to put together this event to increase our physical activity,” said Supervisor of Health and Human Services Paula Peikes. “Exercise and good eating habits are crucial parts of living a healthy life. I hope that everyone that comes to this walk stays for the healthy eating discussion and leaves with some fresh vegetables for their families.” The meetup location for the event is the Bloomfield Public Library at 90 Broad Street. To register for the event, go to https://www.meetup.com/Lets-WalkProgram/.

Bloomfield adds additional free COVID-19 testing date of Thursday, Sept. 3 in the municipal parking lot
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August 26, 2020

As Bloomfield officials continue to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the township, the Bloomfield Health Department is setting up additional free testing for residents. After all of this Thursday’s testing slots filled up, the township decided to schedule another testing day for Thursday, September 3 from 3:30-6:30pm in the municipal parking lot, to ensure that all residents that wish to be tested can be. “We have worked diligently from the beginning of this crisis to keep our families healthy and safe while slowing down the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” said Mayor Venezia. “The reception for our previous testing days has been overwhelming therefore, we will continue to offer free testing to residents as long as there is demand for us to do so.” Residents interested in getting tested should call 973-680-4057 to make an appointment. The township is especially encouraging teachers, janitors, aides; etc. and those working directly with the public to be tested. Testing will be conducted on a first come first serve basis.

Bloomfield offering free COVID-19 testing August 20, 3:30 PM-6 PM in municipal parking lot
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Press Releases
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August 18, 2020

The township is once again offering free COVID-19 tests for residents on August 20 between 3:30pm and 6:00pm in the Municipal Parking Lot at 1 Municipal Plaza. There will be 50-55 slots available on a first come first serve basis. “Ensuring that our residents are healthy and not potentially spreading COVID-19 in our community is a top priority,” said Mayor Venezia. “We have had testing sites open at no charge to residents multiple times during this crisis and we will continue to take every precaution necessary to keep our community safe.” Residents interested in getting tested should call 973-680-4057 to make an appointment. The township is especially encouraging teachers, janitors, aides; etc. and those working directly with the public to be tested.

Bloomfield Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs completes renovation of Pulaski Park Tot Lot playground
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Press Releases
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August 13, 2020

The Bloomfield Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs Department recently completed a total renovation of the Pulaski Park Tot Lot Playground. This project was funded through a community development block grant in the amount $347,662.20 and the contractors were secured through Sourcewell, a national cooperative purchasing agreement. “The hard work of our Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department has resulted in an outstanding completed park that our families can enjoy,” said Mayor Venezia. “We were able to renovate the park at no cost to taxpayers while delivering a fully ADA compliant and inclusive environment for all. Pulaski Park is one of many phenomenal outdoor spaces in our township that all residents should take advantage of.” In addition to a fully ADA compliant turnabout spinner/merry-go-round, this playground features a "Quiet Grove" for children who can become overstimulated on a playground. The Quiet Grove combines the soothing benefits of nature with sensory activities to help children alleviate stress and escape from the hustle and bustle of the playground activity. "During the design phase it was important to me to work with our representative to design a playground that was inviting, vibrant, spacious and inclusive," said Michael Sceurman, Director of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs. "I couldn’t be happier with the final product and by receiving a platinum designation by Little Tikes Commercial Play Systems and Unlimited Play it validates our commitment to inclusive play." Pulaski Park is located at 24 Mt. Vernon Avenue and other features of the park include, four basketball rims, four lighted tennis courts, a hand ball court, lighted softball field, community garden, bike racks and a 60 spot parking lot. On Saturday, August 1 all municipal tot lot playgrounds reopened to the public and will be disinfected daily by the DPW and Park Maintenance Department to ensure that the equipment on the playgrounds is cleaned and children can enjoy themselves once again in our extraordinary municipal park system. For a list of all Bloomfield municipal parks, visit http://www.bloomfieldtwpnj.com/213/Facilities.

Next Bloomfield community conversation on race to take place Wednesday, August 12 via Zoom
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Press Releases
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August 9, 2020

Following a string of previously successful community conversations on race this summer, the township will hold another one on Wednesday, August 12 at 7:00pm via Zoom. This conversation is going to focus on how to build equity in education and will include guest speakers Dr. Maureen Gillete, Dean, College of Education, Seton Hall University, Dr. Jennifer Robinson, Executive Director, Center of Pedagogy, Montclair State University and former Assemblyman Bill Payne. Councilwomen Jenny Mundell and Dr. Wartyna Davis will moderate the conversation. “Building off of the productive and informative conversations we have had this summer regarding race, I look forward to learning more about how we can build equity in our education system,” said Mayor Venezia. “Both the Council and myself have gained valuable insight from these conversations and we look forward to applying what we have learned to make our community a more equal and inclusive place for all.” This will be a broad discussion on equity in education and will include data on national trends as well as general definitions. Both resources and assessment tools for parents, educators and decision makers will be discussed and provided to the community. To join the webinar, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87044654009?pwd=VHdIOVFBNlhEWW5hOVV5UDdOUll6Zz09 and use Passcode: 735323 or call +1 312 626 6799 and use Webinar ID: 870 4465 4009 and Passcode: 735323. Dr. Jennifer J. Robinson, is Professor and Executive Director of the Center of Pedagogy, the institutional unit at Montclair State University that coordinates initial teacher preparation and the simultaneous renewal of teacher education and the schools. A career educator, Robinson has directed more than $14 million in externally funded grants to recruit, prepare and sustain beginning and experienced educators for school districts in New Jersey. She has made numerous professional presentations, conducted research and written about teacher recruitment/retention and sustaining school/university partnerships. Dr. Maureen Gillette is currently the dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Seton Hall University. Originally from the Chicago area, she was an elementary and middle school teacher for twelve years prior to completing a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She began her career in teacher education at the College of St. Rose in Albany, New York. She served for six years as Associate Dean in the College of Education at William Paterson University, and was Dean of the Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, IL for eleven years. For more information about the topics that have been covered in this series, visit https://www.bloomfieldtwpnj.com/1538/Community-Conversation-Resource-Links.

Bloomfield to conduct survey to identify properties that may be designated as local historic sites
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August 3, 2020

In a continued effort to honor and preserve the historic character of Bloomfield, the Mayor, Town Council and Historic Preservation Commission are beginning a survey of historic resources in the township. The survey, which has been contracted to Richard Grubb and Associates (RGA), will identify properties that have a significant architectural, cultural and historic value that can be designated as local historic sites. “Protecting the historic charm of our incredible community while proactively searching for additional properties that we can protect is something that the Council and myself have prioritized,” said Mayor Venezia. “It is my hope that this survey will identify properties that we can add to our inventory of historic sites which is already very robust. I am grateful for the hard work that the Historic Preservation Commision puts in to make all of this possible.” Through the Summer and Fall, residents may see RGA staff in their neighborhood photographing properties from the sidewalk or public right-of-way to gather information to include in the field survey. All RGA vehicles are marked with the RGA logo and RGA staff will not enter private property without permission. The findings of the survey will be made available to the public at the completion of the survey. “I’ve always been impressed with how much pride Bloomfield residents have in the historic character of our town,” said Councilman and Liaison to the Historic Preservation Commision Rich Rockwell. “We’re fortunate to have a historic district that has been on the state and national registers of historic sites since 1978, but we also have many properties outside the Historic District that are worthy of recognition and preservation. We’re excited to be surveying other areas of town for sites to be added to our historic inventory to give them the recognition and protection they deserve. As Liaison to the Historic Preservation Commission, I’m proud to be spearheading this survey.” If you have any questions about the survey, or if you wish to share information about the history of your property, please contact Bonnie Flynn, Planning Director at bflynn@bloomfieldtwpnj.com or 973-680-4192.

Bloomfield playgrounds to reopen Saturday
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July 30, 2020

Eight township playgrounds will reopen on Saturday after being closed as a precaution against COVID-19. The playground equipment will be disinfected every morning though, social distancing and facemasks will still be required. “Ensuring that our families are safe and limiting their exposure to COVID-19 is our number one priority, which is why our playgrounds have been closed during this crisis,” said Mayor Venezia. “However, it is also important that our children have the ability to go outside and enjoy Bloomfield’s outstanding playgrounds. I ask that if you visit our playgrounds that you wear a face covering and maintain a safe distance from other people so that everyone can enjoy themselves safely. Even though we are disinfecting the equipment daily, I recommend that you wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after visiting our playgrounds out of an abundance of caution.” Signs will be placed at the playgrounds with rules that must be followed to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19. The playgrounds will be open from 10:00am to dusk and all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Bloomfield Health and Human Services Department releases contact tracing steps for COVID-19
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Press Releases
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July 26, 2020

The Bloomfield Health and Human Services Department has outlined step by step what the contact tracing process entails for residents that test positive for COVID-19. The purpose of contact tracing, is to retrace a person's steps leading up to the positive diagnosis and to reach out to all people that may have been exposed to them. “Making sure that we quickly identify positive cases in our community and figure out who those people were in contact with is key for us to flatten the curve,” said Mayor Michael Venezia. “That is why starting Thursday, we will begin to test residents free of charge at various locations in town and anyone that does test positive will be interviewed right away.” When a person tests positive for COVID-19, the Public Health Department will contact that person by phone to begin the contact tracing interview process. The interview in total should take between 10-15 minutes. “The contact tracing process combined with increased testing is the best way for us to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Bloomfield,” said Health Director Karen Lore. “The interview does not take much time and we ask that any residents that test positive cooperate with our tracers.” All information is kept confidential and residents are strongly encouraged to share information to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 cases in the community. Citizenship information will not be discussed as part of the interview process. To prevent possible scams, residents should be aware that they will never be asked for a social security number or bank information. The Bloomfield nursing and investigation team will always identify themselves by name and explain that they are calling from the Bloomfield Department of Health and Human Services. Anyone that suspects someone is attempting to scam them should contact the Bloomfield Police Department’s non-emergency number at 973-680-4141. For more information about contact tracing, please visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/principles-contact-tracing.html. If you are interested in becoming a contact tracer, visit https://covid19.nj.gov/forms/tracer.

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