10 Most Read July Montclair Patch Stories

It has a gym, a library, and a stunning piano room. And, perhaps most importantly, especially in this heat, it also has a spacious swimming pool. Stanton & Co. reported that the just-sold 495 Park Street represents the largest house sale in Montclair in the past year. The seven-bedroom Tudor home, which sits on over half an acre of land, was listed—and sold for—$1,999,999. Take a look at the photos!

A 21-year-old Montclair man was charged with murder Friday in the shooting death of a University of Villanova student, whom police said was apparently killed during a robbery. Ernest Williams was charged with the  a 21-year-old from Ridgefield, Conn., authorities said. Williams allegedly has been arrested a few times in the past two years on various drug charges.

Hometown parades are something extraordinary. And Montclair's Fourth of July parade was no exception. After all, where else would you find your neighbors shooting each other with Silly String, or the township council members waving because they actually know you? The Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps marched in Montclair's 62nd annual Independence Day parade, as did Mayor Robert Jackson, Deputy Mayor Bob Russo and former Mayor Jerry Fried.

As the new council took office on July 1, led by Mayor Robert Jackson, former councilor Cary Africk offered a few pieces of advice.

, taxpayers stepped forth one after another to ask questions about the third quarter tax bills that showed up in mailboxes recently. Residents have even set up a Facebook page called Tax Us Fairly Montclair. Township Manager Marc Dashield explained that the third quarter bills are the result of last year's reassessment, one that was designed to make taxes more equitable. But many residents are more than angry over higher taxes.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has identified the man who was killed by a NJ Transit bus yesterday as Deshon L. Johnson, a 22-year-old Essex County College student living in Montclair.  

The business landscape continued to change in Montclair. A new sign at what was once  in Upper Montclair (before Little Angels moved to 1 Bellevue Plaza) is indicating that another new business is moving into the strip—a place called Sir Isaac. According to the sign, the business will be a "bike, board, ski" shop. No doubt this will make the many kids in the neighborhood happy.

Wanted: A Few Good School Officials

The Montclair Public School district is still in need of a superintendent, a business administrator, and a permanent principal at Mount Hebron Middle School. What's happening with the search?

The school district is still, apparently, looking into Samantha Morra, assistant principal at Mount Hebron Middle School, to determine whether she enrolled her children in Montclair schools using a Montclair mailing address that is actually part of the Little Falls school district. Meanwhile, the district will continue to search for a permanent principal at Mount Hebron to replace Guy Whitlock, who was suddenly transferred to Central Office a few months ago.

Marzullo's Restaurant Marks Big Anniversary

When asked about running for the last 30 years, owner Raffaele Marzullo quips that, during the surging economy of the 1980s, times were so good "you didn't know what pocket to put your money in next." With the recent recession, it's a different story today. "Now you can't even find a pocket," he says, with an array of homemade biscotti laid out in front of him. Marzullo concedes that the last 30 years haven't been easy—but that he wouldn't dream of doing anything else.

Finally, despite the fact this article/poll was published weeks ago, you continue to predict who will play Christian and Anastasia in the film version of "50 Shades of Grey." Check it out here.

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Shelley Emling at Shelley@patch.com or find us on Facebook. For news straight to your inbox every morning, sign up for our daily newsletter.