Judge denies petition to stop special election for Orange BOE

ORANGE, NJ — Administrative Law Judge Michael Antoniewicz has denied the petition filed by the Orange Board of Education’s special attorney, Stephen Edelstein, to file an injunction to prevent the Orange School District’s change from a Type 1 District with an appointed board to a Type 2 District with an elected board, according to Orange […]

HRC town hall attracts large crowd

Residents, township officials discuss ‘sanctuary,’ racial diversity, police statistics and more

HRC town hall attracts large crowd

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Mayor Robert Parisi told those gathered for the West Orange Human Relations Commission’s Feb. 22 “We All Belong” town hall meeting that it would be unnecessary to declare the township a sanctuary city because undocumented immigrants in the township currently do not risk being singled out by local law enforcement. Though […]

Debate over leaf blower bans rages at TC meeting

Residents support ban, landscapers point out problems

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — While Maplewood neighborhoods may be blissfully quiet this summer, landscapers claim the silence will cost homeowners increased lawn care fees. On Feb. 21, the Maplewood Township Committee continued the 14-year debate that has been raging around leaf blowers here, and dozens of landscapers came out to oppose further restrictions. In 2003, the […]

GRPD to present Jr. Police Academy

GLEN RIDGE, NJ — The Glen Ridge Police Department will be starting a junior police academy this coming summer for seventh- through tenth-graders. Detective Sgt. Daniel Manley, who will be the lead instructor for the one-week academy, hopes to attract 25 Glen Ridge students. Applications will become available at the end of this month. An essay […]

Local filmmaker has a new short in a film festival

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A Bloomfield resident has had a short film of his accepted for admission to the 15th annual Garden State Film Festival, in Atlantic City. The film is by Brian Parks who wrote, directed and acts in “Narrow and Wide,” a 10-minute short. “I did it with a friend,” Parks said recently. “It is […]

SOMA Board of Ed affirms commitment to educating all children

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — At the Feb. 27 South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education meeting, board members voted to affirm the South Orange-Maplewood School District’s commitment to educating all children. The board passed Resolution No. 3536, which states the district’s goal to education all children, regardless of ethnicity or immigration status. “The School District […]

Deer management program culls 89 animals from reservations

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County recently announced that 89 deer and 56 unborn deer were removed from South Mountain Reservation and Hilltop Reservation during the 2017 deer management program. The program, which was held on six days between Jan. 17 and Feb. 14, is geared toward revitalizing the forest ecology by reducing the number […]

Irvington has first homicide of 2017, as mayor praises lower crime rate

IRVINGTON, NJ — Irvington suffered its first homicide of 2017 on Saturday, Feb. 25. On Monday, Feb. 27, acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and township Public Safety Director Tracy Bowers announced and investigation into the murder of Tajmiah Philips, 31, of Newark by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide-Major Crimes Task Force and the […]