The Montclair Pod

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?Show Notes & LinksWatch 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).New Branded Series: Farnoosh & Mike Get HealthyThis 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.Local Headlines & Weekend PlansMunicipal 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: Ümläüt8 PM: BARDLate Night: 80s Danceteria Dance Party with DJ Rafe Gomez (Twitch: DanceteriaRewind).Proceeds benefit Toni’s Kitchen.

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 coachElizabeth and Jason, single parents share their experiences dating in MontclairGrace L. Williams, journalist and Montclair Pod special assignment reporterMishiko Passikoff, therapist on tension in relationships over politicsReubena Spence, co-founder of Out Montclair, on the LGBTQ+ dating scene

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

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.

Why is Montclair nearly 20 million dollars in the red, and how did no one stop it? This week, we peel back the curtain on one of the most consequential crises the town has ever faced, examining how years of rising costs, missed warning signs, and avoided hard decisions brought the school district to this moment.We also break down:• The Superior Court ruling that invalidated the December 9 special election, the superintendent’s new plan for a March vote, and what immediate cuts mean for families, staff, and classrooms.• What the judge found legally insufficient about the ballot language and why March 10 is now the target date for a new referendum.• The district-wide reductions are rolling out on January 5, from eliminated programs to lost staff positions.• What the state will and will not fund while Montclair waits for a new vote.• A rare, in-depth conversation with Tenafly Business Administrator and Montclair resident Stephen Frost, who explains how much power a BA really has, what should have been caught, why personnel cuts were unavoidable, and whether a forensic audit would actually reveal anything new.• Why New Jersey’s 2 percent tax cap, rising health care costs, and declining enrollment created a structural squeeze years in the making.Also, the NBC I-Team tracks down former BA Christina Hunt in person, and we react to the footage that has now been viewed tens of thousands of times.We then dig into the psychology of giving and receiving feedback as part of a series sponsored by Twocents. We talk with the owners of Dan and Day’s Burgers and Shakes and Paper Plane Coffee Co. about the reviews that changed their businesses, why specific feedback matters more than praise, and how Twocents’ anonymous option is helping shape everything from aioli recipes to café seating layouts.In our Ask Our Agent segment, we flip the script. At sponsor Karin Diana’s holiday party, we ask recent transplants the same question: What surprised you most about life in Montclair? The answers span parking, walkability, community warmth, suburban culture shocks, and the Ring notifications everyone eventually turns off.We wrap with local headlines, including free holiday parking, a township toy drive, a resident-run report called MPACT, exposing why MPS budget documents are nearly impossible to analyze, and a note to complete the school district’s new Budget Priorities Survey.

Why doesn’t Montclair have any legal weed stores? This week on The Montclair Pod, we tackle a question that has floated around town for years, with a deep look at Montclair’s cannabis landscape, tracing how a town that once hosted New Jersey’s first medical dispensary now has zero open shops. Farnoosh and Mike walk through the long, complicated road to legalization in New Jersey, the zoning bottlenecks in Montclair, and the Catch-22 of opening a dispensary in a system where you need a lease before you have a license.We unpack:• How state and municipal approvals have slowed Montclair’s cannabis rollout.• Why the town may be missing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual tax revenue.• The real numbers behind dispensary sales in New Jersey.• An in-depth conversation with Jake Kushner, founder of Kush Connection on Bloomfield Avenue, who shares the multi-year, financially draining journey to opening a dispensary in his hometown.• A behind-the-scenes look at Genuine Grow, Montclair’s first legal cultivation facility, with founder Andrew Marshall explaining the three-and-a-half-year road from idea to harvest, and why he’s betting on small-batch, craft cannabis grown right on Pine Street.Also: Montclair’s special election is off. A Superior Court judge has invalidated the December 9 ballot questions, ruling the wording unclear and legally insufficient. We break down what the ruling means, why the ballot language failed, and how the district might navigate a shortfall with layoffs already underway.In lieu of Farnoosh & Mike Eat Food this week, we explore the psychology of giving and receiving feedback, as part of our series sponsored by Twocents. The hosts chat with Montclair customers and business owners about what makes helpful feedback, how often people leave reviews, and why private, measured comments often matter more than public criticism.In Ask Our Agent segment, sponsor and real estate agent Karin Diana of Compass returns to explain what sellers should actually look for during a bidding war. She breaks down why the highest price doesn’t always win, which terms matter most, and how contingencies, lenders, and even an agent’s reputation influence a seller’s decision.We wrap with local headlines, including a state grant to redesign Church Street, a new community survey on weekend transit service to New York City, and the Montclair-born musical Spiral Bound heading to Lincoln Center. Plus: Farnoosh’s long-awaited tickets to see Conan O’Brien and Stephen Colbert, and Mike’s search for a gym that won’t leave him gasping on day one.

This week on The Montclair Pod, we drop the episode a little early because Montclair’s school deficit story is moving at warp speed, and because some of us need something to listen to while hiding from relatives in the bathroom.In our roundtable, we bring in Matt Kadosh and Asad Jung, two Montclair Local reporters who’ve been working around the clock to cover the town’s $19.6 million school deficit, the December 9 special election, and the sudden flurry of lawsuits, claims, and shifting narratives.We unpack:The human side of reporting the crisis. What it’s been like to chase constant updates, untangle confusing information, and manage the temperature of the town.The lawsuit challenging the December 9 ballot, which alleges the wording is “confusing” and “misleading.” Could it derail the vote?The new claim against former Business Administrator Christina Hunt, including allegations she mishandled a food-services contract.The broader systemic issues: years of turnover, fragile financial controls, and the question of whether it’s fair, or even correct, to pin this moment on one person.What comes next, including more litigation, more scrutiny, and how residents might better understand the scale and origins of the crisis.Farnoosh & Mike Eat Food, sponsored by Twocents, takes you inside Qahwah House, the Yemeni coffee spot drawing crowds for its honey-soaked desserts and cardamom-spiced brews. And in Ask Our Agent, Compass agent (and pod sponsor) Karin Diana breaks down the most common bidding mistakes that cost buyers homes in Montclair’s ultra-competitive market. Learn about Montclair's Budget Hearings Here. And donate to Toni's Kitchen here and here.More from The Montclair Local:Lawsuit Challenges Montclair School Referendum, Calls Questions "Misleading"Former Montclair School Official's Action Cost District Over $500K, Claim SaysSignificant Achievement Gap Persists in Montclair Schools, Data Shows

Subscribe, leave a review below, and please share your thoughts at MontclairPod.com. Follow on Instagram and send us a tip: hello@montclairpod.com.Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill sits down with The Montclair Pod for one of her first interviews since the election. She delivers a candid, forceful take on Montclair’s deepening school budget crisis. Sherrill, a longtime Montclair resident and parent of public-school students, voices fury and frustration over what she calls a “breakdown in fiscal management,” questioning how the district ended up with a $20+ million deficit and why taxpayers are being asked to contribute more without a full accounting of what went wrong. Note: This conversation was recorded before the district’s major plot twist this week: the state signaling it will extend an advance on next year’s state aid if Question 2 on the December 9th ballot fails — avoiding immediate catastrophic cuts but triggering long-term consequences, including reduced future aid and the likely arrival of a state fiscal monitor.We break down what the new scenario means for taxpayers, schools, staffing, extracurriculars, and the future of Montclair’s magnet system. We also clarify key points from the interview, including the difference between a forensic audit and a fiscal monitor.Beyond education, Sherrill discusses the state’s affordability crisis, her plan to freeze utility rate hikes on day one, school district consolidation, and the economic pressures facing families across New Jersey.Later in the episode, Farnoosh and Mike head to Jalwa on Glenridge Avenue for their latest “Farnoosh & Mike Eat Food” segment, sponsored by Twocents, the app lets you leave feedback for any NJ business—anonymously if you want. Then in “Ask Our Agent,” sponsor Karin Diana of Compass Montclair shares how to begin prepping for a home purchase in 2026. Plus: The Montclair Bridge Fund launches to support neighbors following the referendum. Local sports and arts highlights, and more.

In her most candid interview yet, Superintendent Ruth B. Turner discusses accountability, fiscal discipline, and the tough choices facing Montclair schools, as the district faces a $19.6 million deficit and a pivotal special election on December 9.In the interview, Turner explains:Why Question 1 leaves out mention of the state loan and monitorWhy Question 2 makes the tax hike permanentWhat a fiscal monitor could and couldn’t do in MontclairWhy the forensic audit is tied to Question 2Whether teachers and nurses could be reinstated if new funds passHow the district plans to avoid another deficit and restore transparencyPlus, a look at where the “missing $12 million” actually went and what happens if the town must take a short-term bridge loan just to make payroll.Later in the episode, Farnoosh and Mike head to Bao Dumplings and Bao Tea in Verona for their latest “Farnoosh & Mike Eat Food” adventure, sponsored by Twocents, the app lets you leave feedback for any NJ business—anonymously if you want.Then in “Ask Our Agent,” Karin Diana of Compass Montclair shares how smart, high-impact staging can make a home shine—even in a brisk market—and what today’s HGTV-raised buyers are really looking for.Plus: a quick round of Montclair headlines, from Board of Ed election results and the Imani 25th Anniversary Gala, to the town’s latest openings and events.