Three churches unite to assist area immigrants

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Greater Bloomfield Interfaith Partners will hold its second annual meeting Sunday, Feb. 19. The meeting will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Park United Methodist Church. Park UMC is located on Broad Street, at 12 Park St., in Bloomfield. Congregates from three houses of worship established the partnership last year. […]

Orange City Council confirms special election still pending

ORANGE, NJ — In an email to the Record-Transcript on Monday, Feb. 13, Orange City Council President Donna K. Williams confirmed the date of the special election for the two new Orange Board of Education members as Tuesday, March 14. Orange voted on Public Question No. 1 in November 2016 to change from an appointed […]

Historians suggest seven properties as historic landmarks

Historic sites considered include Condit, Tompkins houses

Historians suggest seven properties as historic landmarks

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Two architectural historians suggested seven properties in the lower Gregory neighborhood as possible historic landmarks during the West Orange Historic Preservation Commission’s Feb. 8 meeting. Patrick Harshbarger and Eryn Boyce, of Hunter Research, made their suggestions after conducting a survey of 45 area properties put forward by the commission as having […]

Maplewood native shows artwork at Memorial Library

Ellis returns to his Maplewood roots to display his art

Maplewood native shows artwork at Memorial Library

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — It’s entirely possibly that anyone taking a close look at Stephen B. Ellis’ art will hear the rich sounds of an alto saxophone or the smooth undertones of a bass guitar playing in the background. Ellis’ musically influenced work is on display this month at the Maplewood Memorial Library as part of […]

GR BOE seeks 23M for school expansions

GLEN RIDGE, NJ — On Friday, Jan. 27, the Glen Ridge Board of Education approved a resolution to hold a special school district election, “Referendum 17,” on Tuesday, March 14, with the voting to take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In addition, voters will be able to participate by absentee ballot as in […]

West Orange receives $440K in federal grant funds

Federal grants to fix roads, support mental health, outreach

West Orange receives $440K in federal grant funds

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Thanks to the Community Development Block Grant and Emergency Solutions Grant programs, 13 Essex County municipalities and 36 nonprofit community organizations will receive approximately $5 million. On Feb. 8, the county announced the grant winners; the CDBG and ESG programs are funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development […]

Avalon Bay to rebuild, but fears of fire remain

Avalon Bay to rebuild, but fears of fire remain

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Maplewood was stunned last week when a six-alarm fire tore through the Avalon Apartments construction site on Feb. 4, destroying approximately two-thirds of the site — luckily the flames stayed away from the finished portions. The fire, which took approximately four hours and 120 firefighters to extinguish, destroyed the work already done […]

IHA Board of Commissioners fire executive director ‘for cause’

IHA Board of Commissioners fire executive director ‘for cause’

IRVINGTON, NJ — The Irvington Housing Authority Board of Commissioners voted at a special meeting Wednesday, Feb. 8, to terminate Executive Director David Brown and pay him four months’ salary as severance pay. According to Mayor Tony Vauss, former Newark Regional Housing Department official Diane Johnson has been tapped to replace Brown. Johnson reportedly currently […]

Students collecting coins for cancer

Students collecting coins for cancer

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A Bloomfield elementary school coin drive during the month of February has returned this year with three more schools participating. Started by resident and parent Milly Realz, the collection was only at Fairview Elementary School last year where Realz’s daughter, Jordan Williams, was a student. Realz had received permission from Fairview Principal Sal […]

Involved West Orange resident, architect Gurland dies at 81

Community will miss Gurland, his work and personality

Involved West Orange resident, architect Gurland dies at 81

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Gerald Gurland, noted architect and longtime member of West Orange’s Historic Preservation Commission and Planning Board, died at the age of 81 on Feb. 2. Gurland played a consistent role in maintaining the character of West Orange for more than 20 years, initially as member of the Planning Board’s board of […]