Latest news with #Montclair
Associated Press
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
A Bold New Intellectual Platform from Global Producer Desh Amila Debuts in North Jersey
Montclair, NJ July 21, 2025 --( )-- This fall, the newly reimagined Lackawanna Station will become the intellectual epicenter of North Jersey with the launch of the Thinkable Speaker Series—a powerful new platform for live, longform conversation created by internationally acclaimed producer, educator, and storyteller Desh Amila. The inaugural season of this six-part series will bring some of the world's most respected voices in politics, science, culture, and civil society to downtown Montclair for dynamic, in-person discussions. Thinkable is intentionally intimate, deeply engaging, and relentlessly relevant—designed not for mass media consumption, but for real people seeking real substance. 'Montclair is one of the few places in America where intellectual rigor meets cultural relevance,' says Thinkable founder Desh Amila. 'It's affluent, diverse, media-literate, and deeply curious. We're not trying to inject big ideas into the town—they're already here. We're simply giving them a stage.' Each Thinkable event unfolds as a moderated fireside-style conversation with interactive audience Q&A, hosted inside the historic Lackawanna Station—a newly transformed marketplace and cultural hub. The result is a rare opportunity for nuanced discussion, civil disagreement, and transformative dialogue in a setting purpose-built for connection. 2025–2026 Season Lineup October 27, 2025 – Ta-Nehisi Coates National Book Award-winning author and journalist. A leading voice on race, history, and identity. February 18, 2026 – Dr. Cornel West & John Wood Jr. Two of America's most courageous bridge-builders in conversation about justice, truth, and democracy. April 23, 2026 – Steven Pinker Harvard cognitive psychologist and bestselling author known for his work on reason, language, and human progress. March 2026 (tbc) - Richard Dawkins Bestselling author and evolutionary biologist, Dawkins is known for his unflinching take on science, belief, and human nature. In this special Thinkable event, he reflects on the 50-year impact of The Selfish Gene and how its ideas still shape the world today. June 19, 2026 – John McWhorter Economist and linguist in bold dialogue on race, identity, and intellectual freedom in America. July 23, 2026– Masih Alinejad Iranian journalist and women's rights activist, founder of the My Stealthy Freedom movement. 'Bringing Thinkable to Lackawanna Station is a milestone,' says Jason Gleason, VP of Community Development at BDP Holdings, the team behind the redevelopment of the space. 'This partnership exemplifies what we built Lackawanna for—big ideas, bold dialogue, and a public hungry for something real. It's proof that world-shifting conversations can emerge from unexpected places. Something from nothing.' Season passes are available now at Seating is limited. No livestream. No rewind. Be in the room where it happens. About Thinkable & Desh Amila Thinkable is a global event and media platform devoted to elevating public discourse through dynamic live programming and high-impact storytelling. Founded by Desh Amila, a Sri Lanka-born entrepreneur based in Melbourne, Australia, Thinkable builds on over a decade of innovation in thought leadership. Desh previously founded Think Inc., the first touring company to bring renowned global educators and public intellectuals to live audiences, and later launched This is 42, a multimedia platform for complex conversation. His production credits include the award-winning documentaries Better Left Unsaid and Islam and the Future of Tolerance. In 2024, he co-founded Dissident Dialogues, now the largest heterodox intellectual event in the world. With Thinkable, Amila continues his mission to inspire, challenge, and connect through meaningful dialogue. About Lackawanna Station Lackawanna Station is Montclair's newest cultural and commercial destination. A former train terminal turned 1980s mall, the space has been reborn as a vibrant marketplace and creative hub, featuring more than 20 local businesses, food artisans, and art installations. Anchored by Montclair Flea and Ironbound Farm Market, the venue has quickly become a magnet for entrepreneurs, artists, and the intellectually curious. Learn more at Contact Information: The Hip Event Maria Cucciniello Falzo 973-769-2248 Contact via Email Read the full story here: A Bold New Intellectual Platform from Global Producer Desh Amila Debuts in North Jersey Press Release Distributed by
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Violet PR Named to Inc.'s Prestigious 2025 'Best Workplaces List'
The annual list recognizes companies setting the standard for workplace success; honor comes amid Violet PR's recognition as a top U.S. boutique agency MONTCLAIR, N.J., June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Violet PR, a New Jersey-based public relations firm specializing in economic development and real estate, is proud to announce that it has been named to Inc.'s 2025 Best Workplaces list honoring companies that have built exceptional workplaces and vibrant cultures that support their teams and businesses. This year's list, featured on is the result of comprehensive measurement and evaluation of American companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company cultures – whether in-person or remote. Violet PR stood out not only for its national impact in economic development storytelling, but also for its vibrant and inclusive workplace culture. The agency fosters a collaborative, flexible environment where creativity thrives and team members are empowered to lead with purpose. The firm blends "big-agency results" with small-team camaraderie, offering generous professional development opportunities, including direct mentorship. This people-first approach fuels the agency's reputation as a trusted partner for economic development and real estate organizations. "Our goal has always been to create the kind of workplace where talented people feel seen, supported and inspired to do their best work," said April Mason, founder and president of Violet PR. "By focusing on meaningful storytelling and building a team culture rooted in trust, flexibility and purpose, we've been able to attract incredible colleagues who care deeply about making an impact in the communities we serve." The prestigious Inc. award process involves a detailed employee survey, covering critical elements such as management effectiveness, perks, professional development, and overall company culture. Each company's benefits are also audited to determine overall score and ranking. Violet PR is one of 514 total recipients this year. "Inc.'s Best Workplaces program celebrates the exceptional organizations whose workplace cultures address their employees' welfare and needs in meaningful ways," says Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. "As companies expand and adapt to changing economic forces, maintaining such a culture is no small feat. Yet, these honorees have not only achieved it – they continue to elevate the employee experience through thoughtful benefits, engagement and a deep commitment to their teams." The boutique, New Jersey-based agency currently represents economic development organizations for the states of Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina and Oklahoma; plus, the cities of Buffalo, N.Y.; Frisco, Texas; the Kansas City Metro; Lehigh Valley, Pa.; Newark, N.J.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Lincoln, Neb.; and Topeka, Kan. In 2024, the agency secured a whopping 1,679 earned media placements, reaching an estimated audience of 33 billion people worldwide. To learn more about Violet PR, visit Additionally, to view the full list of Inc.'s 2025 winners, visit About Violet PR Whether it's rebranding a city, drawing attention to a revitalized neighborhood, or promoting a new sustainable development, Violet PR helps clients make a difference. Through a combination of news stories, social media and compelling content, our New Jersey-based boutique public relations firm helps clients attract more dollars and supporters. Violet PR was named "Best Boutique Agency" by the Public Relations Society of America and the "Best Industry-Focused Agency" by Bulldog Reporter. For more information visit About Inc. Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Violet Public Relations Error al recuperar los datos Inicia sesión para acceder a tu cartera de valores Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rep. Mikie Sherrill captures the Democratic nomination for New Jersey governor
U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the Democratic primary and will run as her party's candidate for New Jersey governor this fall. Sherrill, 52, of Montclair, was first elected to Congress in 2018. She's also served as a pilot in the U.S. Navy and worked as a federal prosecutor. She built what was perceived to be a front-runner status through taking a fairly traditional approach to gathering support from county party chairs and county conventions. Vowing to serve as a foil to the Trump administration, Sherrill has leaned into her military experience during this campaign, going so far as to wear her Navy flight jacket in the video distributed to announce her candidacy. Though the race included a packed field and many expected a close race long into the night, Sherrill jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. The race was formally called at 8:39 p.m. when Sherrill had about a 60,000 vote lead. State Democratic Party Chair Leroy Jones congratulated Sherrill in a statement. Jones said that since Sherrill first ran for Congress in 2018, she has "brought New Jerseyans together across party lines and stood up against extremism at every turn. 'I want to congratulate every participant in our spirited Democratic primary on a hard-fought campaign, and thank them for contributing their vision on how best to move New Jersey forward," he said. "Jack Ciattarelli, on the other hand, is only in this to move himself forward — after losing this race twice already, it's clear he'll say or do anything to become governor of New Jersey." The packed field of six candidates included Newark Mayor Ras Baraka; Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop; former state Senate President Steve Sweeney; Sean Spiller, president of the New Jersey Education Association, the state teachers' union; Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Sherrill. While the race stayed close, polling did give Sherrill an edge throughout the spring as she racked up endorsements from political and activist organizations throughout the state. It was unclear just how much of a role those endorsements would have due to the new ballot without the traditional county-line design. The line traditionally gave candidates endorsed by the county party preferred ballot placement, and an edge in their efforts, but it was dismantled by a federal judge last year. Even without the line, county committees held their annual conventions, where in some cases endorsements are voted on while in others the endorsements are simply announced after discussions behind the scenes. Fulop did not participate in the county conventions and instead promoted his own slate of candidates for down ballot races. As of June 1, there were 6,574,692 registered voters in New Jersey, including 2,451,752 Democrats and 1,624,437 Republicans. That is 44,302 fewer Democrats and 60,666 more Republicans than at this time last year. Sherrill will face Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli, the former assemblyman from Somerville. The nation will be watching the Garden State's general election unfold as a bellwether — New Jersey and Virginia are the only states holding elections for governor this year. Pundits are already portraying the two races as referendums on the second Trump administration's policies and agenda. Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@ This article originally appeared on Mikie Sherrill wins Democratic Primary for NJ governor
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
You Won't Believe What Ended Up in This Oakland Elementary School's Yearbook That Had Parents Livid
This year's theme for an Oakland school's yearbook was 'Celebrating 100 years.' Parent volunteers at Montclair Elementary School took it seriously, pulling archived pictures and articles to include in their kids' books. But despite multiple parents having multiple eyes on the final product, they seemingly missed a racial slur printed in an old article, and it didn't take long for students to point it out. Sloane Young's eight-year-old daughter attends Montclair, where the error occurred. When she saw the racial slur printed in her yearbook, she went straight to her mother, a Black woman and president of the PTA. 'I have a very bold, outspoken eight-year-old, and when she saw it, she said, 'Mom, why did you allow this to go in the yearbook when you're Black,'' Young told KTVU. In the racist entry from 1940, an annual carnival is portrayed saying, 'Boy and Girl Scouts will have charge of booths and many attractions such as n****r babies.' The photo also depicted little white kids throwing balls at Black kids with the sign 'Hit the N****r Baby' painted on top. 'The description of the game, once you start Googling it, is horrific,' PTA President Young said. Hundreds of books were handed out to students, with many students getting their books signed by their peers before the mistake was recognized. As for how such a careless mistake even happened, Young said volunteers simply didn't read before adding to the collage. 'Unfortunately, they skimmed the first paragraph of that article, and scanned it into the software we use for the yearbook,' she continued. She continued taking full responsibly for the racist mistake under her leadership. But the Montclair community was still left with concerns and overall mistrust for the school. Brenda Mitchell, a student's grandmother, told ABC 7, 'I was like, what the hell is this?' Mitchell continued, 'This is 2025… 1900s, what do the kids need to know about?' She added, 'Why would you bring that out? Why would you even put that in there? It was very inappropriate. Very inappropriate.' The school's principal, David Kloker, invited parents last week 'for a circle about racial equity' hoping to bridge the 'larger narrative of racial hostility felt by some families and students' at the school. Kloker also emailed parents formally apologizing for the hurtful entry. He added how stickers would be provided for students to cover up the racial slurs… but not all of the parents were down with that idea. 'Put a sticker over it. What do you mean, put a sticker over it?' Mitchell asked. Another parent agreed, adding, 'That's unacceptable. What they should have done is collected all the yearbooks and redone them, and then passed them back out.' In a separate email, Young announced new yearbooks have been ordered. 'And I will be here all summer ensuring that every family, either the yearbook is mailed out or I swap it out for them personally,' she said. Young also announced she's stepping down from the yearbook committee.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Father's Day gifts for foodies in North Jersey: Engraved steaks, cheese trays and more
I'm hoping you'll think beyond the necktie and get your dad something other than a stereotypical Father's Day gift this year. I get it, though. As a dad myself, I understand we're not the easiest people for whom to shop. Half of us, at least, want 'nothing' for Father's Day, and if we do have our eye on something, we're probably not going to make a big fuss about it. So if a spatula or whiskey cubes appear before us on June 15, we're going to smile and say we love it, glad the whole, generous ordeal is over. But I'm going to take the guesswork out of your search for a unique gift with a dozen Father's Day ideas, mostly available in North Jersey or made by local folks. And the focus is on food here as chances are your pops eats, drinks, cooks, grills or, at the very least, is interested in good food and beverages and how to consume them more frequently. I always like giving gifts someone would either not buy for themselves or that offer a chance to explore something new so there's a bent toward exploration in these items. (If all these fail, sure, get the tie.) For the caffeine junkie with a fine palate, I suggest the Coffee Passport from Montclair's Paper Plane Coffee Co. Every month, your dad will get 12 ounces of limited-edition roasted coffee. And these aren't just any old beans; they're new offerings sourced from around the globe each month that aren't available on shelves. It's $22.99 per month, or buy a full year in advance and save 10%; you can also dip in for a few months without committing to a whole year. Available for delivery or pickup in Montclair. Get it at Bergen County's own Pat LaFrieda has become synonymous with steak, thanks to his high-quality product showing up in locales from Citi Field to high-end restaurants across the country. You could just order one of his cuts or a box of filet mignons, but why not do something special this year and get a custom message engraved on the bone of a 40-ounce USDA Prime tomahawk steak ($182.68)? You know what they say: There's no better medium to express love and appreciation than meat. Order yours at Is your father a fan of fromage? If so, check out the gift boxes from Valley Shepherd Creamery. We like the BAAA Tray ($59.99), a mix of four of Valley Shepherd's farm-raised, cave-aged cheeses with crackers, jam, fig cake and condiment jam. You can opt for larger gift boxes or sign your dad up for Valley Shepherd's cheese of the month club. Get the BAAA Tray and peruse other options at As the name implies, this is a local hot sauce maker that was recently named the best craft hot sauce in the state by the hot sauce crowd-sourced ranking app Sauced (yes, it's a thing). Get your father a variety pack of three ($24.97) or four ($32.97) hot sauces that range from a classic medium heat to the Sizzlin' hot variety, or go a la carte and get flavors like the Scorchin' Carolina Reaper, Garlic Verde, Indian Masala and more. Get it at New Jersey is home to a handful of wineries, but none (for my money) are better than Pittstown's Beneduce Vineyards. Owner/winemaker Mike Beneduce is a certified sommelier and his family has farmed in Jersey for four generations after emigrating from Italy. Beneduce grows grapes that suit our unique microclimate here, and I recommend the 2023 Gewürztraminer ($30), the 2021 Blaufränkisch ($44) and Beneduce's low-alcohol Acqua Pazza spritz ($20). Order at It's not too late to get your old man in on the home pizza-making trend. While often imitated, I've had the pleasure of eating friends' Ooni-made pizzas for the last year or so. They're easy to use and turn out consistent pies. Ooni ovens come in various sizes (from one to two feet), prices ($299-$1,200) and also use different fuel sources (gas, wood and electricity) depending on preference. The best part is you can pencil in pizza-making accessories like peels, gloves, sauces and more for Father's Day for years to come. Available at select local retailers and at Maybe you want to give the gift of a unique experience — preferably one you can share with your dad. For those who imbibe, the Cheers in Chester Wine and Beer Festival (July 26 from 3-7 p.m.) is a casual experience with the opportunity to sample over 100 craft beers and wine. Plus, there'll be live music and food. Tickets are $60 and include a 5-ounce taster cup; available at Few places cure meats as well as Montclair's Butler and the Board. A charcuterie board may be gone in a matter of minutes on Father's Day, but the memory of its quality will linger. This spot's charcuterie boards include house-cured artisanal meats (like prosciutto, duck rillette, mortadella and more), cheese, house-pickled veggies, fruit, jams and crackers, and can serve 2-12 people depending on your needs and appetite. Prices range from $45-$140; order at If your dad considers himself a mixologist or you think he can just up his cocktail game, check out the artisan bitters from JS Distillery in Fairfield. Their small-batch bitters come in orange and aromatic varieties (both $14) in a dropper bottle. Perfect for an Old Fashioned, Negroni, Sazerac or any number of cocktails, order them at Gladstone's River Bend Farm is a regenerative agriculture operation that offers meats from humanely raised animals that aren't given antibiotics or hormones. So not only are you supporting sustainable agriculture in ordering their food, you're also getting primo meat. Their all-natural, no-nitrate smoked Berkshire pork bacon is immensely popular (so popular, in fact, they limit orders to one pound ($15.99) at a time). Get your dad some at Alright, stay with me on this. A fig tree is a relatively low-maintenance gift that keeps on giving, and they do exceptionally well in the Garden State (I know from experience). New Jersey growers Bill's Figs in Flemington and NJ Fig Farm in Old Bridge each sell young, healthy fig trees of numerous varieties. Gift a fig tree (~$40 and up) to a dad with a green thumb or a hunger for figs and they'll enjoy the fruits of your gift well into the future. Make sure you add in a pot, as they'll need to bring it inside in the winter. When in doubt, get chocolate. Morristown's Enjou Chocolat makes a myriad of holiday-oriented confections, including several options for Father's Day. While you can get chocolate shaped as tools or ties, fish or beer steins, go for something slightly off the beaten path with the golf ball Oreos ($16.95). They're chocolate-covered oreos with a golf ball shell made of white, dark or milk chocolate. Get it at Matt Cortina is a food reporter with Record. Reach him at mcortina@ This article originally appeared on 2025 Father's Day gifts for North Jersey foodies
