Home Care In Wayne, NJ

Photo Credit: Brokedown Palace a Grastropub in Wayne, NJ

WAYNE, NJ - October is going to look a little different at Brokedown Palace in Wayne.

We’ve got three events planned throughout the month, starting with an evening with Connecticut psychic medium Patricia “Patty” Griffin on October 9, followed by our Haunted Hoedown on October 30 and then a full Halloween weekend to finish out the month.

An Evening with Psychic Medium Patty Griffin — October 9

We’ll start things off on October 9 when psychic medium Patty Griffin comes to Brokedown Palace for a special evening event.

Griffin has been doing professional readings since 2014 and has appeared at private readings, fundraisers, gallery readings and stage events throughout the East Coast. She describes her work as connecting guests with loved ones who have passed, with the goal of providing validation, comfort and closure.

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a buffet dinner in Brokedown Palace’s private dining area. Dinner, soft drinks, dessert and coffee are included with the ticket. Griffin will begin the reading portion of the evening at 7:15 p.m. and continue until approximately 9:15 p.m., giving readings to guests in attendance.

Griffin will do her best to reach as many guests as possible during the event; however, purchasing a ticket does not guarantee an individual reading.

Tickets and event information: Brokedown Palace Channeling Dinner with Patricia Griffin

Haunted Hoedown — October 30

Then we’re changing gears.

On October 30, Nashville After Dark gets a Halloween makeover with our Haunted Hoedown.

We’ll have line dancing, a DJ and plenty of country music, but this time with a Halloween twist. Boots still work. Costumes work even better.

The idea is pretty simple: take the fun of a Nashville night, mix it with Halloween and turn Brokedown into a haunted country bar for the night.

Halloween Takes Over Brokedown

And we’re not packing the decorations away after the Hoedown.

Halloween weekend, Brokedown Palace will be going all in.

The restaurant will be decorated throughout for Halloween, with special food and drink offerings available during the weekend. We want it to feel like more than a restaurant putting a couple of pumpkins by the front door. If we’re doing Halloween, we’re doing Halloween.

Come in for dinner, grab a drink, watch a game, stay for the party or make Brokedown one of your stops for the weekend.

October gives us a chance to have a little fun with the place and do some things outside of the normal restaurant routine. A psychic medium, a haunted Nashville night and a full Halloween weekend should do the trick.

Or the treat.

Brokedown Palace is located in Wayne, New Jersey. Event details, times and updates will be available through Brokedown Palace’s website and social media.

It’s been a great first month for Wayne Schools! Looking back, we had a wonderful start to the 2026-2027 school year. Tuesday, September 8th was the first day and, students flooded the hallways of schools across Wayne. Locker doors slammed, backpacks unzipped, and laughter echoed in the halls as students attempted to find their new classrooms. The students expressed excitement as they reconnected with old friends and began new courses.

Educators joined in this excitement. In fact, even before the first day of school, educators from teachers to media specialists to guidance counselors start preparing for their new students. Some take a few days in August to set up their classrooms. Others attend professional development or sit at their computers revising lessons. The educators of Wayne, NJ are no different.

All the educators then met just before Labor Day Weekend for opening day. The staff first went to a district welcome convocation where the superintendent and the WEA welcomed everyone, teachers new and old, to the 2026-2027 school year. Afterwards, teachers returned to their buildings where they finished classroom set up, went over policy and handbook updates, completed different training sessions and more.

Then, on Tuesday, September 8th, students and staff of the Wayne school district flooded the hallways of their schools! The members of the Wayne Educational Association are very excited to be back in school.

Elementary school teacher, Matthew Grossman, reflects on his return to teaching fifth grade at Packanack Lake Elementary School. He explains, “I moved from 4th to 5th grade, so I am looking forward to seeing continued growth over a longer time span with the same students.”

Wayne Valley high school film and English teacher, Cindi Hannon, is also eager to get back to teaching. Hannon believes, “The start of the school year is a chance to start afresh with new eager faces ready to learn and become a community.”

From picking out the best bulletin board theme to writing brand new lesson plans, each educator is dedicated to making this year a success for all of their students across this large town.

After a successful first month, we look forward to a great rest of the year!

Articles will be for both parents and teachers with helpful information, as well as a place to showcase our great staff and the work they do to educate the children of the Wayne community.

WAYNE, NJ – What would Wayne’s school board candidates need to see before approving another school tax increase? In this second article in an eight-part series, the six candidates explain how they would evaluate that decision and discuss it with residents who are struggling to afford living in Wayne.

TAPinto Wayne sent the same eight questions to all six candidates running for three seats on the Board of Education. The first article asked them to introduce themselves and share their qualifications. This article focuses on school taxes.

The candidates, listed in the order their responses appear below, are:

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The first article followed the candidates’ ballot order, determined by a random draw performed by the Passaic County Clerk’s office. With each new article, the candidate whose response appeared first moves to the bottom, and everyone else moves up one position.

All their comments/answers will be presented without editing and published in full.

A school tax increase should never be automatic. Before voting for one, I would first need to understand exactly what is driving the increase and why it is necessary. That means looking carefully at the district’s spending, enrollment projections, staffing and contractual obligations, special education costs, facilities needs, state aid, reserves, and potential areas for savings. I would also want to understand what alternatives were considered and what the impact of those alternatives would be on students and schools.

For me, fiscal responsibility is not simply about spending less. We also have to look at the consequences of the decisions we make. For example, a cut that results in larger class sizes, eliminates an important student service, or creates a greater expense a few years from now may save money in one budget cycle without being fiscally responsible in the long run. That is why I believe the Board has to consider the financial and educational impact together.

At the same time, we cannot discuss school budgets without recognizing the financial pressure many Wayne residents are already experiencing. Seniors on fixed incomes, young families, and longtime homeowners all feel the effect of increasing property taxes. If I were going to vote for an increase, I would need to be convinced that the district had carefully examined its options first. More importantly, I would need to be able to explain to residents, in clear and specific terms, why the increase was necessary, what their money would support, and what had been done to control costs.

Ultimately, residents deserve more than being told that an increase is necessary. They deserve to understand the reasoning behind it and to see how their tax dollars are being used.

I understand the frustration surrounding this year's school tax increase of more than 8%, especially for seniors on fixed incomes, young families, and longtime residents who are finding it increasingly difficult to afford to live in Wayne. I have lived here my entire life, raised my family here, and pay the same property taxes as everyone else. I recognize that every increase places an additional burden on our residents, and I do not take that responsibility lightly.

Residents also deserve to understand what drove this year's increase. The district faced extraordinary financial pressures, including an approximately 34% increase in healthcare costs, rising utilities, increasing special education expenses, and what I believe continues to be inadequate state funding for Wayne. We have taken steps to control spending, including reducing administrative positions while increasing teaching positions to keep resources focused on our classrooms. However, when major expenses continue to rise and state funding fails to keep pace, more of that financial burden falls on local taxpayers.

Before I would support another tax increase, I would expect detailed justification of every additional dollar requested. I would like to know what expenses have been reduced, what alternatives have been considered, and what impact further cuts would have on our students. My more than 20 years on the Board have also taught me that cutting an expense today does not always save taxpayers money tomorrow. Postponing necessary repairs or making short-term decisions without considering their long-term consequences can ultimately cost residents significantly more. This is also why I supported establishing the Citizen Budget Advisory Committee, so residents have a meaningful opportunity to understand our financial challenges, ask questions, and provide input before the final budget is presented.

To residents who are struggling to afford living in Wayne, I would say this: I hear you, and you deserve more than an explanation that costs have gone up. You deserve accountability. If I vote for a budget that increases taxes, I have an obligation to explain where that money is going, why it is necessary, what alternatives we considered, and what we did to minimize the increase. I will not automatically support a tax increase, nor will I promise to oppose one simply because it may be the popular answer. Every budget must stand on its own merits, and every dollar must be justified. My responsibility is to protect the quality of education our children receive while respecting the taxpayers who make that education possible.

Before voting to approve a budget that would unfortunately raise school taxes again, I would have to be confident that there’s a renewed dedication to require smart budgeting, eliminating waste, responsible resource allocation, accountability, transparency and assurance that there’s a prudent approach to ALL spending. While seated as a trustee on the school board I’ve come to learn that the state’s disproportionate funding has left us in a challenging situation, at best. I think stakeholders in Wayne deserve a board that can make tough decisions in tough times that will benefit our students and ensure continued academic excellence while carefully considering all tax-payors, as well.

Affordability is a significant and real concern in Wayne, and I understand the challenge. The reality is that contractual obligations — primarily salaries and benefits — will add to the rising school budget each year. Employee health insurance costs alone have increased by nearly 34%. At the same time, Wayne home values have appreciated substantially. A strong school system has helped protect and build homeowners’ investment and equity, and it will continue to do so.

This is a challenge that hits home for me because I live in Wayne and pay property taxes like everyone else. I have become increasingly convinced during my three years on the Board that the current system is not aligned with the realities facing our district. State funding, regulations, and mandates often do not reflect the costs and challenges that Wayne faces, leaving local taxpayers to absorb much of the difference.

My experience on the Board has also taught me that the range of choices available to a school district is often much narrower than residents might reasonably expect. Early in my first term, I had many ideas that seemed practical until I learned that state law, regulations, contracts, or other requirements prevented the district from pursuing them. Understanding those limitations has given me a much clearer picture of where the Board actually has the ability to make meaningful changes.

Before I would support another tax increase above the statutory cap, I would need to be convinced that it is necessary and that, over the long term, it is a better choice for the district and taxpayers than the alternatives available to us. That means thoroughly examining the budget, identifying areas where costs can be reduced or deferred, and understanding the consequences of each available option.

I would explain my decision to residents the same way I approach decisions on the Board: by being transparent about the options that were actually available, the advantages and disadvantages of each, the potential downstream consequences, and ultimately why I believed one option was more responsible than the others.

I understand why residents ask, “Why didn’t the Board just do this?” or “Why didn’t they cut that?” Those are fair questions. My experience has taught me that some of the simplest and most logical solutions are not legally or practically available to a school district. That does not mean the Board is powerless. It means our responsibility is to understand the choices we actually have, challenge the assumptions behind them, and make the most responsible decisions possible with the options available.

After an increase of more than 8% this year, I think the bar for asking Wayne taxpayers for even more money next year needs to be extremely high.

Before I could support another tax increase, I would need to be convinced that we had gone through the budget thoroughly, line by line, and exhausted reasonable alternatives. I would want to know where our costs have increased, why they have increased, what we have done to control those costs, and whether there are areas where we are spending money without getting enough value in return.

I would also want to know what the consequences of not raising taxes would actually be. If I'm being told that without an increase we're going to lose teachers, significantly increase class sizes, or eliminate programs and services that our students truly need, that's something I have to take seriously. But I don't think we should start the budget process by deciding how much more we can ask taxpayers for and then building a budget around that number.

Wayne is an expensive place to live. We have retirees on fixed incomes, young families trying to afford their first home, and longtime residents who have watched their property taxes continue to climb. An 8% increase isn't just a number in a budget presentation. That's real money coming out of someone's wallet every month.

At the same time, I wouldn't make a campaign promise that I will never vote for a tax increase. I don't think that would be responsible either. There may be circumstances where an increase really is necessary to protect the quality of education we provide our children. If that happens, I would need to be able to look residents in the eye and explain exactly why I voted for it, what alternatives we considered, what we cut or changed first, and specifically where their additional money is going.

If I can't explain that clearly to our residents who are being asked to pay the bill, then I won't be voting for it.

I recognize that an increase of this magnitude puts real pressure on Wayne families. Before supporting another significant increase, I would want to understand exactly what is driving it, what costs are unavoidable, what efficiencies have been identified, and what measurable benefit students and taxpayers should expect.

I would also want to see how staffing, class sizes, state aid, grants, maintenance and other major expenses are being evaluated. A budget should demonstrate that we are spending responsibly before asking taxpayers to spend more.

If an increase were ultimately necessary, I would explain the decision honestly. We need to distinguish between simply spending more and making necessary investments. Residents deserve to know what they are paying for, why it is necessary, what alternatives were considered and how the Board will measure results.

At the same time, we cannot lose sight of families who are struggling with the cost of living in Wayne. Fiscal responsibility and educational excellence have to exist together.

Past and Upcoming Articles in This Series:

WAYNE, NJ — For the third time, testimony on the mosque proposed for 225 Colfax Road was heard before the Wayne Zoning Board of Adjustment. Monday’s meeting did not draw the overflow crowd seen at the initial hearing, but there was still a sizable audience in the council chambers.

Some left without the opportunity they had been waiting for—to ask questions—after the engineer testifying that night became ill and could not continue.

Wassim Nader, a licensed professional engineer with The Nader Group, testified for roughly 90 minutes before he asked the board for a break. When the meeting resumed about 15 minutes later, IPray House attorney Mark Semeraro announced that Nader was too ill to finish that night.

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The announcement drew frustration from the audience, including one person who shouted, “What is this?”

“The engineer is sick and has left,” Board Chairman Steve Toth told the crowd. “There’s no asking questions. There’s no going over the questions. I’m sorry. He’s leaving.”

“He doesn’t feel good,” Toth continued as people in the chambers reacted. “I mean, we’re not going to make the man sit here and pass out.”

Nader had completed his “affirmative testimony” but will return September 8 to address the township professionals’ reports and then, the public will be given a chance to ask questions regarding his testimony.

IPray House, Inc. is seeking preliminary and final site plan approval, a conditional-use variance, a bulk variance involving the rear parking setback and an environmental protection waiver to build the mosque on nearly 10 acres on Colfax Road near Sharon Lane.

The proposal has drawn attention beyond the surrounding neighborhood. The first hearing exceeded the council chambers’ 233-person capacity, and opponents have since organized through a Facebook group called Wake Up Wayne NJ.

The group says its concerns include flooding, traffic, wetlands and the project’s scale. Its GoFundMe has raised $6,596 from 68 donations toward a $16,000 goal for legal representation and expert witnesses.

“We were prepared, we were present and we were armed with all the questions,” organizer J.D. Rizzy wrote after Monday’s meeting.

Those questions will now have to wait until September.

During his testimony on Monday night, Nader said the property stretches along approximately 1,100 feet of Colfax Road, with wetlands on its northern and southern sections. Of the nearly 10 acres, slightly less than three would be developed. Wetlands, transition areas and steep slopes would leave most of the remaining property untouched.

Plans show 251 parking spaces spread across several surface lots and an underground parking area.

Parking requirements vary depending on how the building is used. The 468-person prayer area requires 156 spaces, Nader said. A calculation based on the 8,340-square-foot basement assembly area raises that requirement to 209 spaces.

The site would also have accessible parking, pedestrian paths and a sidewalk leading toward Colfax Road. Nader said the applicant is willing to consider a crosswalk connecting to the sidewalk across the street, subject to approval.

Two detention basins would collect stormwater carried through a network of inlets and pipes. According to Nader, the system would reduce peak runoff compared with what leaves the undeveloped property now.

The parking lots would be illuminated by downward-facing LED fixtures approximately 20 feet high. Shielding could be added to keep light from spilling beyond the property, Nader said. Evergreens planted near Colfax Road and around the development are intended to screen the building and vehicle headlights from the view of neighboring homes.

One issue still to be resolved is tree replacement.

Nader said the project would remove 127 trees. Wayne’s formula, which accounts for the size of each tree, requires 241 replacements. The plan shows 110.

It also remains unclear whether the proposed screening evergreens would count toward that total and whether the remaining requirement would be met with other plantings or a payment to the township. Township Planner Christopher Kok said the requirement is tied to Wayne’s state stormwater permit and indicated that he would not recommend granting a waiver.

Solar panels shown above the rear parking area in an earlier exhibit are no longer part of the application, Nader confirmed.

The hearing is scheduled to continue on Tuesday, September 8 at 7:30 p.m. Nader is expected to address the township professionals’ review letters and answer questions from the public.

The applicant still has testimony to present from its traffic engineer and planner before any decision is made by the board.

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Jon "Ferris" Meredith is an award-winning journalist whose coverage of local news has earned his site the designation of Wayne Township's Official Online News Source for the Town Council and Board of Education.

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Some TAPinto Wayne Articles are created with AI assistance and finalized by TAPinto Wayne editors to ensure accuracy.