Landscapers’ lawsuit over leaf blower ban drags on

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Maplewood’s controversial ordinance that blocked landscapers from using gas-powered leaf blowers is still the subject of a lawsuit filed by the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association, which has hopes to change the town’s position on using the landscaping tool. The ordinance passed last April when residents complained that a less restrictive rule […]

Oheb Shalom to celebrate an inclusive Shabbat

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Oheb Shalom will host Shabbat B’Yachad on Friday, March 23, at 8 p.m. Shabbat B’Yachad will be a musical celebration of inclusivity, welcoming and celebrating the gifts that people of different abilities bring to the community. The service will feature song, instrumental music, special readings and prayers, participation by honored guests, […]

Effect of school closings in the SOMSD

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The school district set aside three days for emergency closings in 2017-2018; however, the district has already used four days as a result of inclement weather, and Maplewood Middle School used a fifth day on March 9 due to lack of power. The calendar approved by the Board of […]

‘Van Gogh: After Arles’

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — In one of the most shocking and infamously haunting incidents in art history, Vincent Van Gogh, consumed with paranoid delusion, sliced off his left ear. After a relatively short hospital stay, he returned to the Yellow House but could not maintain his mental equilibrium. A South Orange-Maplewood Adult School class on Thursday, […]

Quinn buries SOMA in snow, fallen trees

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Winter Storm Quinn tore through the northeast on March 7, dropping anywhere from a few inches to a couple feet of snow in some places and knocking down numerous trees and powerlines. South Orange and Maplewood were not exceptions, as the storm left many residents without power while they […]

Legendary piano teacher to appear at Ethical Culture Society

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Ethical Culture Society of Essex County will host a screening of “Seymour: An Introduction,” the Ethan Hawke documentary about legendary piano teacher Seymour Bernstein, on Saturday, March 17, at 4 p.m. Following the movie, there will be a question-and-answer session with Bernstein. Born in Newark, Bernstein was a piano prodigy before […]

CCR program to tackle racial understanding in children

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race will host a special program for families with children in preschool through middle school on Tuesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. at the Montrose Early Childhood Learning Center, 356 Clark St. in South Orange. This program will discuss how racial dynamics in […]

Maplewood TC honors SOMA women of action

MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — At its March 6 meeting, the Maplewood Township Committee honored local women who have dutifully and honorably served the communities of Maplewood and South Orange. The committee also issued a proclamation in recognition of Women’s History Month. “In service to our towns these strong and principled women have volunteered […]