buzzworthy
Bloomfield
BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE PUTSOUT CALL FOR FINANCIAL HELP
BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE , the 153-year-old school devoted to educating minority and first-generation students , issued an unusual public plea in late October for financial help , saying itmay not be able to keep its doors open beyond the current academic year .
Facing long-term enrollment declines exacerbated by the COVID pandemic , the Essex County college said in a statement that it ’ s actively seeking potential highereducation partners or philanthropic benefactors to help continue its mission of “ advancing opportunities for the underserved population .”
New Jersey ’ s private colleges and universities were reeling even before the coronavirus , against a backdrop of rising costs , tuition sticker-shock and a looming drop in the college-age population . An investigation by The Record and NorthJersey . com this year found half of the state ’ s traditional four-year institutions carried operating deficits even before the pandemic struck , with some deemed “ barely surviving ” or “ critically unhealthy ” by financial experts .
A decade ago , Bloomfield College had 2,000 students , but the number has fallen to 1,300 . Bloomfield offered the lowest full-time tuition rate for any private four-year college or university in the state , and was ranked highest in New Jersey for social mobility by U . S . News & World Report among liberal arts colleges , according to school sources . The average annual cost to attend the college is about $ 30,000 , though that number drops to about $ 18,000 after financial aid is considered , according to U . S . Education Department figures . Nearly 80 % of its students qualify for federal Pell grants , an indicator of financial need , and are Black or Hispanic , according to Education Department data .
— MARYANN KORUTH WITHJEANRIMBACH
Montclair
SMALL-BATCH ARTISANAL EATS
BUTLER AND THE BOARD is not a restaurant per se ; it ’ s a gourmet takeout food shop opening on Forest Street . But it ’ s such a neat concept — artisan cured meats and condiments made by a Daniel Boulud alumnus — that we thought you ’ d appreciate knowing about it .
Jeffrey Butler worked at Daniel in Manhattan , as well as Esca and Lupa , before becoming a culinary instructor at the French Culinary Institute ( today the International Culinary Center ).
Born and raised in New Jersey , he , along with his wife , Cathy , decided to launch a brick-and-mortar gourmet charcuterie shop after launching an online store in February . Among the artisan cured meats offered are chicken pistachio sausage , all-beef brisket hot dogs and chicken liver pate (“ our biggest seller ”). “ Nothing is pre-packaged ,” Cathy says . “ Our meats are made by us . We use local purveyors for our cheese .” • 103 Forest St ., butlerandtheboard . com
— ESTHERDAVIDOWITZAND REBECCA KING
West Orange
EXPANDING SPORTS OPTIONS DURING COVID
During the pandemic , there ’ sbeen renewed interest in racquet sports , since tennis , platform tennis , and pickleball are great activities for getting a workout while socially distancing .
MONTCLAIR GOLF CLUB has been meeting that enthusiasm — and experiencing a surge in membership — with six new , state-of-the-art Har-Tru clay tennis courts available to members year-round , four of them lit for evening play . The club also recently opened a new facility expressly devoted to platform tennis and pickleball ; the platform tennis season starts in September and continues into April , and pickleball is available as weather permits .
Mikk Irdoja , the No . 5-ranked men ’ s platform tennis player in the country , heads the program , which also includes Florentina Hanisch , the No . 1-ranked women ’ s platform tennis player in the U . S .
— CINDYSCHWEICHHANDLER
Clarification
In “ Taste of Italy , North and South ” ( Fall 2021 ) we should have described Stefano Bosetti ’ s position at Palato Caffe & Cucina as co-owner and chef .
BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE : COURTESY OFBLOOMFIELD COLLEGE ; BUTLER AND THE BOARD : COURTESY BUTLER AND THE BOARD ; MONTCLAIR GOLF CLUB : COURTESY OFMICHAEL STAHL
8 HOLIDAY 2021 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE