Home Care In Bloomfield, NJ

BLOOMFIELD, New Jersey (WABC) -- A New Jersey couple is among the missing after catastrophic flooding near the Nepal-Tibet border, according to family members and local officials.

Bimalbhai Patel and his wife, Jaiminaben Patel of Bloomfield, were in the region for a religious retreat when flooding and mudslides swept through the area, destroying buildings and leaving many people unaccounted for. Neighbors in Bloomfield said they were stunned to learn the couple is missing.

The couple's 9-year-old son is safe with relatives in India, according to family members. Rescue operations remain underway as authorities search for survivors and those still missing.

The Patel family issued a statement pleading for help in locating the couple.

"My sister and brother-in-law are missing near the Nepal border, in an area affected by flooding. We urgently request the authorities to help locate and rescue them as soon as possible," according to the statement.

Bloomfield Mayor Jenny Mundell said the community is prepared to support the Patel family during the crisis.

The growing list of missing people also includes New Yorkers. Ramesh Sharma and Neelam Sharma were on the pilgrimage when the flooding struck and have not been in contact with family members in New York since Wednesday morning, when they were near Tibet.

The United Sherpa Association is leading a fundraiser and put on a candlelight vigil for the hundreds lost and unaccounted for.

"We are trying to support those who have lost lives and are still alive out there," Chongba Lama Sherpa, with the United Sherpa Association.

Also among the Americans missing is a mother and 14-year-old daughter visiting from New York. They were in contact with relatives an hour before the flooding hit.

Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.

Tony Moyet reflects on his journey from a ferry captain at Ground Zero to his double lung transplant nearly two decades later.

Bloomfield resident Tony Moyet participates in NJ Sharing Network’s annual 5K Celebration of Life event (NJ Sharing Network)

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of NJ Sharing Network. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Twenty-five years after helping evacuate people from Manhattan following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Bloomfield resident Tony Moyet is reflecting on his journey from a ferry captain responding to one of the nation’s darkest days to a transplant recipient who was given a second chance at life. Today, he shares his story as an advocate for NJ Sharing Network to honor his donor and raise awareness about the lifesaving power of organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

On September 11, 2001, Moyet was a captain with NY Waterway and was working aboard a ferry transporting commuters between Hoboken and the World Financial Center when the World Trade Center was attacked. After seeing the devastation, he called for boats to assist with the evacuation. Moyet and his fellow ferry captains helped transport people away from lower Manhattan, and he continued working until 3 a.m. the following morning.

Moyet returned to the Ground Zero area in the days and months that followed, spending another year and a half transporting federal agents, police officers, firefighters, and other workers, as well as equipment and supplies, to the recovery effort.

“I don’t consider myself a hero,” said Moyet. “I just consider myself a person who happened to be in this bad situation, trying to do the best that he can to help others.”

Nearly two decades later, Moyet found himself facing a life-threatening health crisis. In January 2018, he sought medical attention for a persistent cough and difficulty breathing and was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). His condition rapidly progressed to end-stage COPD and emphysema, and his doctors attributed his severe lung disease to his exposure to the contaminated air at Ground Zero. At one point, Moyet required oxygen around the clock and was told he had only months to live.

Moyet’s best hope was a double lung transplant. He was placed on the transplant waiting list on July 2, 2021. The very next day, a donor was identified whose lungs matched his size and blood type. On July 4, 2021, Moyet received his lifesaving double lung transplant and returned home just 18 days later.

Today, Moyet is enjoying the gift of renewed health and the opportunity to spend more time with his family and friends. He is deeply grateful for the donor whose gift made his transplant possible and is committed to honoring that gift by sharing his story through NJ Sharing Network.

“I don’t need oxygen, and my lungs are working great,” said Moyet. “I am truly humbled and forever grateful to the organ donor hero who gave me my new lungs.”

Moyet has participated in NJ Sharing Network’s annual 5K Celebration of Life, joining transplant recipients, donor families, living donors, volunteers, and supporters to honor the gift of life. Through his involvement with NJ Sharing Network, he continues to help raise awareness about the thousands of people whose lives could be changed through organ and tissue donation.

As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 is commemorated, Moyet’s story offers a powerful reminder of the lasting impact of those who answer the call to help others – and of the extraordinary gift of organ and tissue donation that allows people like him to continue their journey.

According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), more than 100,000 Americans — including more than 3,000 New Jerseyans — are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. One organ donor can save up to eight lives, while one tissue donor can enhance the lives of more than 75 people. To learn more or to register as an organ and tissue donor, visit NJ Sharing Network's website at www.NJSharingNetwork.org.

Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected]. Learn more about advertising on Patch .

In Bloomfield, the upcoming CBS legal drama “Cupertino” filmed at a large banquet hall on Tuesday as crew staged at a base camp on East Passaic Avenue.

At Essex County’s Brookdale Park tennis courts, Montclair Local glimpsed film crews create a scene from “Central Park.” A county spokesperson said it was for the forthcoming Netflix romantic drama, “Enigma Variations.”

In West Orange, the upcoming Paramount+ TV show “Discretion” converted the H.A.T. Tavern into a production set starring Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning and Josh Lucas, Downtown West Orange Alliance announced after a week of filming.

The filming has drawn the attention of residents. Among them were Bloomfield’s Jose Villanueva, who was walking his poodle mix, Amigo, by the “Cupertino” base camp. Large trucks staged in a parking lot on East Passaic Avenue, and crew members could be seen on the steps of a nearby church.

Villanueva, 54, acknowledged the entertainment excitement, noting the chatter on social media. He also discussed the neighborhood challenge.

“We’ve had a couple of these types of things for movies here before,” Villanueva said. “The only thing that’s bad about here is that there’s always garbage left around and nobody picks up, so me and my wife have to go around and start cleaning the area.”

But Villanueva indicated he’s not opposed to the entertainment boom. He said his niece Samantha Villanueva snapped a selfie with Adam Sandler at a restaurant in Montclair on Aug. 9.

“She had asked nicely if he could be in a picture with her,” he said. “She said he was very nice and she was apologetic in advance for disturbing his meal.”

David Placek, managing partner of BDP Holdings LLC, the owner of Lackawanna Plaza, confirmed that Sandler was filming “Grown Ups 3” in the area, and that crew used the plaza’s parking lot off Bloomfield Avenue as a staging area. New Jersey Monthly and NJ.com, have reported Sandler is filming in the state.

“We were just facilitating production trucks, and I think some hair/makeup and craft services for extras,” Placek said, adding that as far as the plaza location goes, “Sandler or the other primary cast members were not there.”

Cesar J. Claro, the executive director of the Montclair Center Business Improvement District, approves.

“Adam Sandler could not have selected a better area to film a movie than Montclair,” Claro said. “Hopefully, his cast and crew try our amazing restaurants.”

In Bloomfield, the CBS filming of “Cupertino” played out at Brookside Banquets on Broughton Avenue, a manager there confirmed.

“It went fine,” said the manager, Arthur Yfantis, who added that, “It’s a 16,000 square foot building.”

“Cupertino” premieres on Oct. 8, a CBS spokesperson said. The spokesperson, Elizabeth Rolnik, declined to discuss specific shoot details. Rolnik did confirm they’re filming in New Jersey.

CBS describes the show as a “David vs. Goliath” legal drama set in Silicon Valley. It follows a lawyer (Mike Colter) who is being cheated out of his stock options by his former employer, a tech start-up, CBS says.

“Refusing to back down, he joins forces with another recently fired attorney (Rachel Keller) to represent those taken advantage of by the tech elite and help them fight back in a high-stakes battle against the Goliaths controlling Silicon Valley,” CBS says. “Ella Stiller, Busy Philipps, Renee Elise Goldsberry and Nik Dodani also star.”

At Essex County’s Brookdale Park, Wandering in Rome Productions LLC, of Jersey City, was filming an eight-episode series called “Enigma Variations” this week, according to Essex County spokesperson Anthony Puglisi.

Around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Montclair Local witnessed filming activity on the tennis courts and Essex County Sheriff’s officers on site. Crew diverted pedestrian traffic from the nearby walking path. Extras, some of them dressed in tennis outfits, strolled the path on cue. A sign on the courts read, “Welcome to the Central Park Tennis Center.”

“It is based on a novel,” Puglisi said, referencing fiction by author André Aciman. “Filming is limited in Brookdale Park to the Tennis Complex. They are permitted for six days of filming between Aug. 31 and the first week of November.”

A Netflix announcement says, “Enigma Variations” will star Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Paul, a “man remade by the lovers who ignite and undo him across six transformative years.” Alicia Vikander also stars in the series as Claire. Riley Keough plays Maud, Devon Terrell plays Manfred, Nicholas Podany plays Harlan and Carl Clemons-Hopkins plays Noah, according to Netflix.

“An intimate yet sweeping portrait of masculinity, sexuality, and modern love in a world of endless choices, ‘Enigma Variations’ asks the question: Will we know when we’ve found the one?” Netflix says. The announcement does not offer a release date.

Last week, the Downtown West Orange Alliance said in a social media post that a “massive film crew” camped out for about a week to film scenes in the upcoming Paramount+ TV show “Discretion” at the H.A.T. Tavern.

The legal drama stars Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning and Josh Lucas, according to Paramount+.

“‘Discretion’ is a legal thriller that follows a lawyer named Lenny (Elle Fanning) who uncovers a dark corporate secret involving NDAs while working as a summer associate at a prestigious Dallas law firm,” Paramount says. “The discovery sets off a dangerous battle between Lenny and her mentor, the firm’s powerful partner, Sharon (Nicole Kidman).”

Downtown West Orange Alliance, which manages the town’s special improvement district, said that despite the disruption, local businesses benefitted from the influx of cast and crew to the business corridor. According to the Alliance, the show is set to air in 2027.

“Here’s a little movie magic: the series takes place in Dallas, so the crew had to transform our NJ vibe into a little bit of Texas… and we can’t wait to see it!” the post says.

UNION, NJ — John Wooten, artistic director of Premiere Stages at Kean University, has created his own original play, ”Flawless,” challenging our assumptions and fears.

This intriguing three-person scenario is more than man versus machine. Instead, the challenge is how far will artificial intelligence take us and do we need to adjust to its calculations or simply use it as a tool?

Frank (Michael Frederic) is a retired writer and professor, who is struggling to develop his latest endeavor. Tess (Ellen Adair) is his former student who is moving on, presumably to embrace AI for what it can do to expand her career. Percy (Alexander Rios) is the computer presence who interferes and comments on human interaction.

Sign Up for FREE Bloomfield Newsletter

Get local news you can trust in your inbox.

Rios perfectly captures the automaton who outsmarts the other two. His rigidity keeps us off guard as he intersects with what the humans are attempting. What’s scary is that the robot starts to adopt some human mannerisms along the way. Frank has hit a dry spell in his writing, while Tess is trying to both encourage and convince him to join her back in the city, to engage with other writers. All three actors are fluid in their interactions and differences.

Director Joe Brancato provides a dynamic atmosphere as the conflicts build between Frank and Tess. Set and costume design by Christian Fleming give us the feel of this remote cabin (with a real typewriter) and apparel that takes us to the rugged terrain and changing priorities. The robot's somber attire distinguishes him from the ‘mere mortals.’ This 75-minute production clearly captures the scary and uncontrollable technology of today’s evolving world, while contrasting human thoughts and feelings, Playwright Wooten has done a stellar job of revealing the flaws of human invention, with perhaps a frightening future.

“Flawless” continues at Premiere Stages through Sept. 20. For tickets, call 908-737-7469 or visit .

Liz Keill reviews professional theatre in the New Jersey area, ranging from the McCarter Theatre in Princeton to Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn. In addition to writing for Tapinto.net, she does theatre analysis for HometowneTV in Summit. She holds a Bachelor's in Journalism from Penn State and a Master's in Communication from Syracuse University. Liz is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association, which holds seminars at regional theatres across the country as well as in New York City.

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Worried about the potential impact of AI data centers in Bloomfield? For now, there’s “no immediate threat,” a local official says.

On Thursday, Mayor Jenny Mundell shared an update about data centers and local planning regulations, which have become a hot topic in communities across the state.

Supporters of data centers say they’re needed to keep the state competitive in the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry. But critics allege that they consume too much power and water – jacking up utility bills for local residents.

According to Mundell, she recently asked municipal administrators to take a look at Bloomfield’s existing zoning rules, noting that the discussion has heated up on social media and in conversations throughout town.

Long story short? There’s no need to worry for now, she said.

Find out what's happening in Bloomfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

“What they discovered was that there really are no areas in Bloomfield that would allow for data centers without a request for a variance from the zoning board,” Mundell said.

“So the first thing that people should understand is that there's no immediate threat,” she continued. “The immediate threat would come if a company wanted to come in, build a data center, and we allowed data centers as a permitted use.”

Currently – they are not, Mundell said.

The mayor also pointed to the rollout of recommendations from the town’s new master plan – which happens to be taking place as the debate over data centers is happening.

“And one of the things that we're going to do as we make these updates to our ordinances to our land use is put forth for the council an amendment that will prohibit data centers in Bloomfield,” she said.

“We are in the process of amending ordinances that will be coming back out to the public very soon,” Mundell concluded. “You'll see it coming up at an upcoming council meeting, and hopefully this assuages some of people's anxiety and fear around them.”

Watch the mayor’s full message here, or view the view below.

DATA CENTER BANS IN NEW JERSEY

Dozens of towns and cities in New Jersey have passed full or partial bans on AI data centers over concerns about their environmental and social impact.

Data centers have existed since the 1950s and have “generally been harmless” – but AI is changing that, advocates say.

“Big tech companies are racing to the AI market by building ‘hyperscale’ data centers,” Climate Revolution Action Network New Jersey says. “These facilities are far larger than traditional data centers and consume much more energy. Right now, these AI data centers are appearing across New Jersey – and it’s causing the entire country serious problems.”

“AI data centers are raising our bills, polluting our environment, and disturbing our communities,” the group claims. “Meanwhile, the billionaires and private equity firms behind AI are using it to undermine our institutions at every corner.”

While the concept of banning AI data centers has seen strong support in town halls across New Jersey, the possibility of legal challenges is also growing.

Montgomery, Andover, and Monroe have each been sued in recent weeks by developers seeking to overturn municipal prohibitions on data centers, the New Jersey Monitor reported.

“The action of the township committee was clearly based upon public hysteria and political attention rather than sound land use planning,” the lawsuit targeting Montgomery’s ordinance claims.

In May, Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced a statewide plan to regulate data centers that she said is designed to hold them accountable – while also positioning New Jersey to become a leader in AI innovation.

Sherrill said the measures would establish guardrails to protect communities, strengthen transparency, require investment in New Jersey’s energy infrastructure, and support good-paying jobs.

“By establishing these guardrails, we will hold data centers accountable, ensure they contribute their fair share, and make sure our communities not only benefit from the AI innovation happening in our state, but have a real hand in shaping it,” the governor said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected]. Learn more about advertising on Patch . Find out how to to your local Patch site.