A Montclair institution moved and got a new name, the township cut down century-old trees in Fieldstone neighborhood, the public library landed the largest state investment in its history, school bus eligibility tightened for fall, and a beloved local pastry chef came home after nearly two weeks in federal immigration detention. Here is what you need to know.
Jackie’s Has a New Home on Valley Road
After 20 years at 614 Valley Road, the Arsheed family has moved one door down, into the former Montclair Stationery space at 612 Valley Road. The restaurant is also shedding the “Grillette” from its name — it’s just Jackie’s now — and the new space is noticeably bigger, with a full in-house bakery program, an expanded breakfast menu and new dishes like knafeh pancakes and a filet mignon plate built around hummus and scrambled eggs.
The Arsheeds opened June 15. We sat down with siblings Labeeb, Wassem and Jackie before the doors opened to talk about what the move means and why they never considered leaving Montclair. Read the full story.
Montclair Cut Down 100-Year-Old Trees in Fieldstone. Residents Want Answers.
Residents of Montclair’s Fieldstone neighborhood say the township killed century-old oak trees by cutting their roots during a sidewalk enforcement sweep, without the required arborist review. Township protocol requires Shade Tree Division staff to assess exposed roots before any new concrete goes down. Residents say that step never happened.
“They just came one day while no one was home and cut every single root off every single exposed tree,” said Marc Rosenberg, a 30-year resident of the neighborhood.
We followed the latest development in what has become a long and complicated story for this neighborhood. Read our full report.
The Montclair Public Library Just Landed $36.6 Million
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority approved $36.6 million in state tax credits for the Montclair Public Library last week, one of the largest public investments in the library system’s history. The funding will support a full renovation of the main branch at 50 South Fullerton Avenue and nearly double the size of the Bellevue Avenue Branch.
Plans for the renovations include a makerspace, flexible collaboration spaces, multi-purpose and meeting rooms, enhanced digital media resources, and dedicated areas for hands-on learning, as well as essential ADA upgrades. Construction is expected to span four years. Library Director Radwa Ali warned The Montclair Local that both buildings might close simultaneously at some point during that window, though the library is working to arrange temporary spaces to keep services running.
The tax credits come through the state’s Cultural Arts Facilities Expansion (CAFE) program, which covers up to 100 percent of eligible project costs for libraries, museums and other civic facilities.
In a press release by the Montclair Public Library, Mayor Renee Baskerville called it “an extraordinary investment” in Montclair’s future. “At a time when Montclair families are facing rising costs, difficult budget decisions across our schools and municipal services, and real uncertainty about what comes next, our libraries matter more than ever,” she said.
Ali put it plainly: “We have critical infrastructure needs that can’t wait, and this funding lets us address those while also thinking boldly about what comes next for Montclair’s libraries.”
Montclair Schools Are Cutting Bus Eligibility This Fall
The Montclair Board of Education approved changes to student transportation at its June 10 meeting, tightening eligibility as part of the district’s response to a constrained school budget. Starting in fall 2026, students in grades K-8 must live at least 1.25 miles from their assigned school to qualify for a bus, up from the prior one-mile threshold. High school eligibility remains unchanged at 2.25 miles. Pre-K students must live at least 2 miles away.
Superintendent Ruth B. Turner framed the change as a fiscal necessity. “These revisions are part of the district’s ongoing efforts to align transportation services with available resources, while maintaining safe, reliable and efficient transportation services for our students,” she said. The district’s transportation department will contact affected families directly in the coming weeks.
For more on how this year’s budget cuts are reshaping district services, read our school budget breakdown and Superintendent Turner’s conversation with Farnoosh and Mike on the latest edition of Supper with the Super.
Chef Leo Is Home
Leonardo Argoti Rubio, the executive pastry chef at Faubourg and Bijoux French Pastry on Bloomfield Avenue, was released from federal immigration detention last week after nearly two weeks in custody. Argoti, 29, was detained June 1 outside a shopping center in Buffalo, N.Y., where he had traveled to visit Niagara Falls with family. His niece had told Montclair Local that he holds a work permit, a Social Security number and a pending asylum case.
The detention drew an immediate and sustained response from the Montclair community. Latinos of Montclair, a local nonprofit, launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover Argoti’s legal expenses; it reached its goal within days. Neighbors, elected officials, customers and local business owners wrote letters and publicly rallied behind him and his family.
Argoti announced his release on Instagram: “In a lengthy Instagram post, Argoti thanked the people who helped bring him home, including his niece, colleagues, Latinos of Montclair and his attorneys at Duva and Miron Law. “I still don’t understand, but I believe I might have done something right to be worthy of such sympathy in so many different ways,” he wrote. “Gracias.”
Speaking to the Montclair Local, Natalia Espejo, president of Latinos of Montclair, called the outcome a reflection of what a community can do when it refuses to stay quiet. “Leo’s release is a victory not just for him and his family, but for all of Montclair,” she said.
That’s five stories shaping Montclair this week. For more local news and deeper coverage, visit montclairpod.com.
Image credit: Montclair Public Library
