This week, we welcome back Township Manager Stephen Marks to discuss how the town might intervene in the school budget crisis and the latest on Lackawanna Plaza. Then, we take a trip back in time with Lonnie Brandon—historian, former Parks & Rec director, and Montclair High football alum—who shares a powerful story from the 1960s involving legendary coach Clary Anderson.

We also cover the "Cutover"—the month-long disruption to the Montclair-Boonton train line as work begins on the Portal North Bridge (hope you like the ferry!). We also break down the latest MPACT report on what a State Monitor actually does (spoiler: nobody really knows).

• MPACT report: Read about state monitors
• Mike Crowley's coverage of the recent School Budget Town Hall
• YMCA History: Join the Zoom on March 26th
• Event: Saturday Night Bard at Luna Stage
• Newsletter: Subscribe at montclairpod.com.
• The History of Our Magnet System on The Montclair Pod

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Montclair is freezing - literally and politically.

This week, Mike and Farnoosh break down the surprise NJ-11 primary win by Analila Mejia, and take a deep dive into growing immigration fears across Montclair. Immigration law expert Dr. Jackie Vimo, a professor at Montclair State University, joins the show, alongside local leaders Masiel Rodriguez-Vars, President of the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence and Emily Kraft, founder of Craftivists, to separate rumor from reality and explain what families need to know right now.

Plus: student walkouts over ICE, Paterson’s school closures and what they could mean for Montclair’s March 10 referendum, and a burst pipe that displaced MESH at the height of winter.

• Register: Farnoosh and Mike's Free Podcasting Webinar (Feb. 13)
• Donate to support MESH relocation
• Tickets for February 12th's Montclair Story Salon
• RSVP for Craftivists' Melt the ICE Knit Night on Feb 19th at Lackawanna Plaza

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In this episode, Farnoosh reports from a packed preschool info session at the Montclair Public Library, where parents of young children are weighing rising pre-K costs, the Mini Mounties lottery, and what comes next for kindergarten and beyond.

We hear directly from families, admissions leaders, and new data showing a surge in interest from Montclair residents exploring private and alternative school options — and we unpack what a public-to-private pivot could mean for enrollment, funding, and equity across the district.

We’re also joined by tech founder-turned-educator Anand Sanwal, who’s launching a new private school in New Jersey and asking a bigger question: if we were designing school for today’s kids — and tomorrow’s world — would it look anything like what we have now?

Plus, we cover the rest of the week in Montclair: ICE presence in the area and the state’s response, snow removal rules, the closing of a beloved BBQ spot, a look ahead at the spring housing market in our sponsored Ask an Agent segment — and yes, we finally get to the bottom of #Slushiegate with a real review!

• Learn more about Forge Prep
• Learn more about Acton Academy
• Snow Removal: Read Councilwoman Susan Shin Andersen's update

• Sponsor: Order from Pendragon’s Smokehouse for the Super Bowl!
• Deal: Use code MONTCLAIR-POD for 10% off (Min order $100).
• Order Deadline: Thursday, Feb 5 at 10 pm ET
• Sponsor: Karin Diana, Compass

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This week on the Montclair Pod, Mike and Farnoosh are back to tackle the snowy aftermath and a whirlwind of local news. From the high stakes of the NJ-11 Special Primary—where a crowded field of 12 candidates is vying for your vote—to the sugar-fueled controversy of "Slushiegate" in our school cafeterias, we’re covering the stories that have the town talking. Grab your coffee (or a Walking Taco) and settle in for a jam-packed episode on everything happening in Montclair right now.

First up, we get serious about the upcoming Special Primary Election. Terrence McDonald of the New Jersey Monitor returns to help us navigate the incredibly crowded field of 11 Democrats and 1 Republican vying for the NJ-11 congressional seat. We discuss why this seat matters, who is actually running, and what to expect on Thursday.

Is "Slushiegate" the distraction we didn't know we needed? Mike and Farnoosh dig into the latest school cafeteria controversy—from slushies in the lunch line to the "Walking Taco" phenomenon. We break down the new Sodexo menu and the parents' reactions to the sugar rush.

We check in on the school budget (spoiler: we aren't the only ones with a deficit). We compare notes with Perth Amboy and the breaking news out of Hackensack, where the school district revealed a shocking $17 million deficit. Specifically, we discuss the major development that the town is stepping in with $6.5 million in emergency funds to help stop immediate layoffs—a move that has sparked conversation about how municipalities support their schools.

We also touch on the latest Board of Education friction points: the debate over the upcoming school calendar and the controversy surrounding the new volunteer ban. Plus, we cover the final days of the Montclair Transit Survey.

We wrap up with a shoutout to Cousin Honey, who is celebrating her 97th birthday (sparking a debate on legal names!). Plus, we share critical dates for parents looking into Montclair's upcoming preschool information sessions.

• 00:00 - Snow days and basement leaks.
• 03:10 - The NJ-11 Primary: A field of 11 candidates (and 1 Republican).
• 05:00 - School Updates: Calendar debates and the volunteer ban.
• 13:00 - Slushy Gate: The new Sodexo menu, sugar rushes, and "Walking Tacos."
• 22:00 - Guest: Terrence McDonald on why this seat matters and who is actually running.
• 40:40 - News: Transit Survey deadline & The Perth Amboy deficit comparison.
• 46:18 - One Big Thing: Cousin Honey’s 97th Birthday & Preschool Info Sessions.

• Election Day: The Special Primary is Thursday, Feb 5th.
• ROUTE Questionnaire: Read the NJ-11 Candidate Responses
• Montclair Transit Survey: Fill Out the Survey
• Montclair Public Library's Preschool Fair is Saturday, Jan 31st.
• Guest: Follow Terrence McDonald at the New Jersey Monitor.
• Support the Show: Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
• Newsletter: Subscribe at montclairpod.com.

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This episode of The Montclair Pod moves between local crisis and statewide context.

School Budget Crises: Montclair and Hackensack

We dig into the growing reality that Montclair is not alone in facing financial trouble in its school district. We look closely at what’s unfolding in Hackensack, where an independent audit revealed a staggering $15 million budget deficit, prompting lawsuits against former administrators and vendors.

State Power, Schools & Segregation

Former New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin helps explain how the state approaches oversight of local governments, consumer protection and fraud, and ongoing legal challenges tied to school segregation, including litigation involving district boundaries and magnet systems

We also ask the uncomfortable but necessary question:

Are we still operating a true magnet school system—or has that promise quietly eroded?

New Jersey Politics: A Transition Moment

We preview our upcoming conversation with Terrence McDonald, editor of New Jersey Monitor, including a brief tease of our discussion about Mikie Sherrill’s first week as governor—and what her early moves could signal for education, oversight, and state-local relationships.

Local News & One Big Thing

• Ani Ramen’s tutoring initiative for students and teachers
• A look at Montclair’s shuttle bus survey results—and why even drivers want another option
• New restaurant renderings, new town hires, and old intersections that keep causing accidents

Grab tickets for Ian Frazier and Jamaica Kincaid, in conversation at Watchung Booksellers (Children’s Room) 

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Following last week’s episode on the origins of the magnet system, we pick up the conversation at a critical crossroads—one where values, finances, and state oversight collide. We attend the latest school budget town hall, where Superintendent Ruth B. Turner and district leaders lay out the long road ahead, explain the district’s structural deficit, and address growing anxiety around the possibility of a state monitor and what that would mean for local control.

We break down what we heard at the meeting, including important clarifications about the revised ballot questions, the limits of state aid, and why a “no” vote does not guarantee relief. We also reflect on powerful public comments from parents—particularly around transportation—and why buses are not a luxury, but a cornerstone of access and inclusion in Montclair.

A recording of the town hall is available here, and the presentation shared during the meeting can be found here .

To help put the moment in national context, we’re joined by Richard Kahlenberg, one of the country’s leading experts on school integration, education policy, and economic inequality. We talk candidly about why magnet schools emerged in the first place, what decades of research actually show about integration and student outcomes, and the real risks districts face when the cost of integration comes under pressure.

We also share a preview of our upcoming conversation with outgoing New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, where we ask the questions many parents and taxpayers are wondering about: when does financial mismanagement cross into fraud, who has the authority to investigate, and what accountability can realistically look like.

Plus, we round out the episode with local news—from new statewide cellphone restrictions in schools, to staffing shakeups at Town Hall, to a one-year look back at the school closure that shocked the community.

RSVP for free for tonight's event with Farnoosh and Hannah Cole, author of Taxes for Humans, at Lackawanna Plaza.

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Montclair has long defined itself by its district-wide magnet system—a model built on choice, diversity, and integration by design. But today, that system is under unprecedented strain. Facing a $20 million budget deficit and rising transportation costs, Mike and Farnoosh go back in time to explore the system's roots in activism and legal battles, while asking hard questions about its future. Is the promise of equity being met, and what happens when our ideals stay the same but our resources don’t?

• Watch Our Schools, Our Town: A Short History of the Montclair Magnet School System produced by Masiel Rodriguez-Vars.
• UCLA Civil Rights Project Report: A 2017 analysis finding New Jersey is the 7th most segregated state for Black and Latino students.
• Patricia Hampson Eget’s Research: "Challenging Containment: African Americans and Racial Politics in Montclair, New Jersey, 1920-1940"
• The Lonnie Brandon Story: Read the Wagner College article by Lee Manchester detailing the history of athletic recruitment and institutional hurdles in the 60s and 70s.
• 1960s Legal History: The New York Times article on the 1960s Glenfield suit and the State Supreme Court’s 7-0 ruling on integration.
• Significant Achievement Gap Persists in Montclair - Asad Jung's article in the Montclair Local
• Budget Feedback: Weigh in on the future of school funding via Superintendent Turner’s Budget Survey (Deadline: January 30th).

• This installment is sponsored by The Bar Method Montclair.
• Offer: Get a FREE CLASS using code MONTCLAIRPOD at checkout on the Bar Method website or download the app. (Code expires Feb 28, 2026). Limit one per person. The studio is also running a winter promo: Receive 30 days of unlimited classes for $78.

• Municipal Complex Forum: Public forum regarding the new $50M town hall proposal on Wednesday, Jan 14 at 7 PM at 205 Claremont Avenue.
• Lunar New Year Performance: Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company presents "Red Firecrackers" at Jersey City Theater Center on Sunday, January 18 at 4 PM.
• Live Music at Tierney's: Join Mike’s band BARD and special guests Ümläüt this Saturday night.
• 7 PM: Ümläüt
• 8 PM: BARD
• Late Night: 80s Danceteria Dance Party with DJ Rafe Gomez (Twitch: DanceteriaRewind).
• Proceeds benefit Toni’s Kitchen.

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Happy New Year, Montclair! This week, we replay one of our hottest shows from 2025 that may inspire new connections in 2026 -- our field guide on modern love in Montclair.

Featuring insights from:

• Junie Moon, relationship expert and Montclair’s own love coach
• Elizabeth and Jason, single parents share their experiences dating in Montclair
• Grace L. Williams, journalist and Montclair Pod special assignment reporter
• Mishiko Passikoff, therapist on tension in relationships over politics
• Reubena Spence, co-founder of Out Montclair, on the LGBTQ+ dating scene

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This week on The Montclair Pod, we revisit one of the most consequential and talked-about episodes of the year: a deeply reported look at homelessness in Montclair and the growing tension between compassion, public safety, and limited resources. As rents rise and safety-net funding faces new pressures, this episode asks a hard but necessary question: what kind of town do we want to be—and what kind of town can we realistically be?

At the center of the episode is Montclair Emergency Services for Hope (MESH), a frontline nonprofit providing meals, clothing, hygiene supplies, job support, and shelter to people experiencing homelessness. We speak with Executive Director Joe Granger, staff, clients, town officials, police, business owners, and longtime residents to understand how homelessness is experienced from multiple vantage points—and why there are no easy answers.

We take listeners inside MESH’s Bloomfield Avenue location, where dozens of people gather daily not just for resources, but for stability, dignity, and connection. For many, MESH is the difference between spiraling and surviving.

We break down:

• Why Montclair’s unhoused population is growing, with 93 people currently counted, making it the fourth largest unhoused population in Essex County. This is according to a study by Monarch Housing.

• How MESH has evolved from a rotating winter shelter into a near-daily operation, providing food and services six days a week and helping 27 people secure employment in the past year alone.

• Why rising rents, food insecurity, mental health challenges, and substance-use disorders are colliding, stretching local nonprofits beyond capacity.

• What unhoused residents say they need most right now—and how community, not just services, plays a critical role in survival.

• The concerns from nearby business owners who say increased foot traffic, aggressive panhandling, and public disturbances are affecting customers and livelihoods.

• Why police say homelessness is not a law-enforcement problem, and what limits officers face without victims, charges, or appropriate mental-health infrastructure.

• The township’s efforts to address the issue, including a strategic plan to end homelessness, increased foot patrols, coordination with nonprofits, and the hiring of a housing liaison focused on long-term solutions.

• The failed attempt to create permanent housing for unhoused residents, and what community pushback revealed about fear, proximity, and political will.

• The uncomfortable reality that Montclair’s generosity—its feeding programs and services—may be drawing unhoused individuals from neighboring towns that provide fewer resources.

Throughout the episode, we wrestle with the broader systems at play: shrinking federal assistance, cuts to SNAP and social programs, and a national lack of mental-health and addiction infrastructure that leaves towns like Montclair trying to fill enormous gaps with limited budgets.

Beyond the main story, we also cover:

• Local headlines, including a New Jersey Transit train collision near Bay Street, updates on school budget pressures, and why Montclair schools may face annual cuts for the next five years.

• The viral rumor that Alec and Hilaria Baldwin may be house-hunting in Montclair—and how the story helped push the podcast’s Instagram past 10,000 followers.

For your listening pleasure, check out Farnoosh's *other* podcasts Leading By Example and So Money.

And Farnoosh on Mel Robbins' podcast

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It’s the season of giving, and this week on The Montclair Pod we step away from school budgets and deficits to focus on something just as important: how we show up for each other. From financial support to time, attention, and presence, this episode explores what meaningful giving looks like in Montclair and why generosity doesn’t have to feel heavy, performative, or transactional.

We’re joined by Ray Graj, co-founder of Montclair Helps, an organization built around a simple but powerful idea: neighbors helping neighbors in moments of acute need. Montclair Helps works behind the scenes with local nonprofits to step in quickly when a family or individual hits an unexpected crisis, whether that’s a car repair, a rent gap, medical debt, or emergency transportation.

We also break down:

• How December is the biggest month for charitable giving and why need doesn’t disappear after the holidays.

• How Montclair Helps provides rapid, one-time assistance, often within 12 to 48 hours, paying bills directly so people can stabilize and move forward with dignity.

• What “ALICE households” are and why nearly 40 percent of New Jersey families are asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed, meaning one emergency can trigger a crisis.

• The kinds of urgent needs local nonprofits are seeing right now, including a surge in requests for coats, rent assistance, and car-related emergencies.

• How small, well-timed acts of support can prevent short-term setbacks from becoming long-term crises.

• Why giving isn’t only about money, and how volunteering, organizing, donating goods, or simply paying attention can be just as impactful.

We also share specific ways to get involved right now, including a local toy drive through Reach Out Montclair, ongoing coat donations for the Human Needs Food Pantry, and resources for discovering dozens of Montclair-based nonprofits doing hands-on community work.

Beyond the conversation on giving, we also bring you:

• A recap of a community holiday outing to Elf at the Bellevue Theatre and what makes shared local experiences matter.

• A new experiment in local advertising with the Montclair Pod’s first “audio coupon,” spotlighting The General Store at Cornerstone Montclair and its mission of inclusive employment. (From now until the end of the year, mention The Montclair Pod at checkout and receive 15% off your purchase.)

• A neighborhood soundbite segment from recent transplants on what surprised them most about life in Montclair, from walkability to community warmth.

• Local headlines, including a tribute to Montclair native actor Peter Greene, an update on sidewalk citation enforcement, and where to find our holiday shopping guide for buying local.

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