Maddalena ELC gathers donations for food pantry

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Students and staff at the new Betty Maddalena Early Learning Center in West Orange show off food collected during the school’s fall food drive. The food collected will benefit the local West Orange Food Pantry. This is the first program in a yearlong effort to teach students the importance of giving […]

Thanksgiving baskets given to needy individuals and families

IRVINGTON, NJ — South Ward Councilwoman Sandy Jones joined members of the National Council of Negro Women for a Thanksgiving basket giveaway at Solid Rock Baptist Church on Chancellor Avenue on Saturday, Nov. 18. “We meet here at Solid Rock Baptist Church and we’re distributing Thanksgiving baskets for families in need. So I have a […]

EO mayor-elect announces formation of transition team

EAST ORANGE, NJ — Mayor-elect Ted Green hasn’t missed a beat since winning the municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, with an overwhelming 97 percent of the votes cast. On Thursday, Nov. 9, he hosted a press conference at the 3rd Ward Community Information Center to announce the formation of his official transition team. Green […]

Vecchio is sworn in as new fire chief

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange Fire Department welcomed its new chief Nov. 9, swearing in Anthony Vecchio as the new head of the department. Vecchio is hardly a newcomer to the town — he is a West Orange native, and has worked in every position in the fire department since he started there […]

Seton Hall U. hosts panel on student homelessness

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Seton Hall University’s College of Education and Human Services hosted a panel on the needs of homeless students on Nov. 15, addressing the issue of student eviction and homelessness across all levels of education. “Meeting the Needs of Students and Families Experiencing Eviction and Homelessness: Opportunities for Improved Coordination among Schools, […]

Charter school application is rejected by NJ Dept. of Ed.

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The state Department of Education has denied the application for a charter school in Bloomfield. The name of the school was to have been the Bloomfield and East Orange Conservatory Charter School and it was intended to serve a middle-school population from the Bloomfield and East Orange school districts. DOE Commissioner Kimberly Harrington […]

Camptown VFW Post 1941 hosts Claims Clinic, Town Hall meeting

IRVINGTON, NJ — Members and volunteers of Camptown Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1941 hosted a Claims Clinic, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Newark Regional Office, at the Chestnut Street headquarters on Saturday, Nov. 18. The event doubled as a town hall meeting, although it focused on veterans rights`. “I don’t […]

Area Easterseals center assists disabled persons find jobs

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Anyone in the area who has ever been told that they can’t obtain employment due to a disability should pay a visit to Easterseals New Jersey. The workforce development team of Easterseals New Jersey has located its solution center in the Hammond Map Building on Valley Street in Maplewood. Through Easterseals Employment […]

Town goes proactive to monitor homes for lead

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield will be required to test the drinking water of 60 homes every six months for levels of lead because a recent test of 35 homes found four with levels higher than permitted federal limits. Previously to these results, the township was required to test 30 homes every three years. The testing increase […]

WO library hosts workshop on area’s first residents

WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange residents had the opportunity to learn about the first residents of their town on Saturday, Nov. 18, when New Jersey author Christopher Savio brought his knowledge about Native Americans to the West Orange Public Library, while Mike Dennis from Traditional Earth Skills, an organization that offers hands-on lectures and […]