Thursday, September 4, 2014

Verona/Cedar Grove News Roundup: Public Works, Kips Castle Tours, Library Open House


The new Essex County Public Works Building in Cedar Grove opened on Tuesday. The new 40,000 square foot building is located off of West Bradford Avenue, and replaces buildings which are over 100 years old.

"The employees of the DPW are committed to serving the public with professionalism and respect, and our new headquarters will help us work more efficiently", said Essex County Public Works Director and County Engineer Sanjeev Varghese. "“This is a great investment that will serve our department well into the future".

According to a press release from the county, the new building will house several divisions of the Essex County Public Works Departent, including fleet maintenance, roads and bridges, and mosquito control. In addition, the Essex County Sign Shop will move to the new facility from the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark. The building also contains office space. 

“I have a great appreciation for the job performed by the Department of Public Works. You are the unsung heroes and sometimes we what you do for granted,” Assemblyman Thomas Giblin said at the grand opening. 

The buildings which formerly housed the Public Works divisions will be torn down in the near future.

Have you ever been to Kip's Castle County Park on the Verona/Montclair border? The 9,000 square foot mansion will be open for tours this weekend. According to a press release, the tours will highlight to history of the Tiffany stained glass windows inside the castle. There is an excellent view of New Jersey and New York from the castle grounds. Tours will take place both this Saturday and Saturday, October 4 at 10am and 11am. Tickets for the tour cost $5, and must be purchased in advance. To register, call the Essex County Office of Cultural and Historic Affairs at 973-239-2465. The castle is located at 22 Crestmont Road in Verona, off of Route 23. 

The Verona Public Library will hold an open house on Saturday, September 13. According to the library website, at 9:30am, there will be a breakfast for members of the Friends of the Library, followed by a Friends meeting at 10am. Coffee and bagels will be served at the breakfast. At 11am, the art truck from the Montclair Art Museum will visit the library. Free art activities will be offered to visitors. More events will follow in the afternoon, including cake and coffee with the mayor, library staff, and library trustees at 1pm. Lastly, a free showing of the movie The Camerman will take place at 2:30pm.The library is located at 17 Gould Street next to Whitehorne Middle School.

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