This week on The Montclair Pod, we go inside a Board of Ed meeting that ran past 1 a.m. — and somehow still ended with a discussion about how to make meetings more efficient. We also hear from outgoing student rep Wyatt Foster, who's heading to Brown in the fall and has plenty to say. Then we sit down with Anne Mernin, Executive Director of Toni's Kitchen, about what the SNAP cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill actually mean for families in Montclair. Plus: a viral Substack post has labeled us "interracial Wakanda," Pride Fest has a new new date, Eclectic Chic Boutique is closing, the Fieldstone tree story gets an update, and a Father's Day dinner at Sam's Table. Oh, and it's graduation day. Congratulations to the Class of 2026!

In this episode:

The BOE meeting that would not end — executive session ran 2+ hours before the public meeting even started, and the whole thing wrapped past 1 a.m.
Student rep Wyatt Foster on the board, the budget crisis, district consolidation, and what he's taking to Brown
Anne Mernin of Toni's Kitchen on SNAP cuts, food insecurity in the suburbs, and what communities can actually do
The CBO projects up to 47,000 NJ residents could lose SNAP benefits in a given month — a number larger than Montclair and Glen Ridge combined
A public comment session on the district's use of the IHRA antisemitism definition drew a broad coalition of critics — including representatives from both CAIR and J Street
Tech updates from the district: internet upgraded to 10GB (free), e-rate-funded network switches, new security cameras, Chromebooks going cart-based in K–5, predictive text disabled, AI guidelines in the works, and a student-built data dashboard
Fieldstone trees update: the township responds, four trees confirmed removed, a new tree protection ordinance in the works
Eclectic Chic Boutique closing July 24 after eight years on Bloomfield Ave
Pride Fest has a new new date: October 11, National Coming Out Day, at Lackawanna Station
Stay Sassy Substack's Jersey suburb power rankings: Montclair = "interracial Wakanda." We'll take it.
Father's Day dinner recap at Sam's Table — Cape Verde tied Uruguay, the lobster pasta was great, and the burger got a very enthusiastic endorsement

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