New SO guest pass allows free overnight parking

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Your exhausted overnight guest has just arrived and needs a place to park their car before they hit the sack. If they park on the street outside your house, they will likely have a ticket in the morning. But wait! There’s a new policy in town. The South Orange Board of […]

County to repave roads in several towns

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. announced details of the county’s Roadway Resurfacing Program for 2018 in an April 16 press release. The annual paving contract is part of an initiative to enhance safety on the roads and the quality of life by modernizing infrastructure. “Essex residents and motorists rely on […]

Maplewood philanthropist receives Metro YMCA award for social responsibility

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — What longtime Maplewood resident Tom Kerns remembers keenly from the four months his wife underwent radical spinal surgery and rehabilitation in 2006 is the outpouring of support from the community. People they knew — and many they didn’t — offered to make meals, drive their daughters to activities and do whatever else […]

S. Mtn. YMCA hosts Healthy Kids Day

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Families are invited to the South Mountain YMCA on Saturday, April 21, for Healthy Kids Day, a free, fun-packed event to inspire children and their parents to engage their bodies and minds all summer long. From noon to 3 p.m., guests can tackle both a climbing wall and fitness obstacle course, and […]

Nine NJ choreographers to hold 2-day showcase at SOPAC

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Choreographers are a rare breed of innovators. Moving dancers through space with humor, passion, elegance and power is their specialty. Now, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and South Orange Performing Arts Center present “Artists Who Innovate: A Celebration of New Jersey Choreographers,” two spectacular evenings of performances from […]

Local scholarship winners to perform at Maplewood Glee Club’s spring concert

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Every spring since 1971, the Maplewood Glee Club awards a scholarship to a high school senior intending to study music in college and beyond. According to club scholarship Chairman Steve Adamczyk, “This year, the level of talent was so phenomenal, we handed out two!” The winners, Hunter Kovacs, a musical theater tenor […]

Local NAACP unit celebrates 105th anniversary

WEST ORANGE, NJ — On Sunday, April 29, from 3 to 7 p.m., the Oranges and Maplewood Unit of the NAACP will celebrate its 105th anniversary. The 105th annual Freedom Fund event will be held at Wilshire Grand Hotel, 350 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange. The evening’s theme is “Freedom is Never Granted but Won. […]

TC appoints DeVaul as new police chief

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — As part of the promised culture change in the Maplewood Police Department, the Maplewood Township Committee appointed acting Chief Jimmy DeVaul as the new police chief at the April 3 committee meeting. DeVaul was chosen with a vote of 4-1; Committeeman Greg Lembrich supported the other police chief candidate, Lt. Kevin Kisch. […]

Maplewood river cleanup and community picnic

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Maplewood is holding its annual Rahway River Cleanup on Earth Day weekend. The cleanup will be Saturday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Maplewood Memorial Park; the rain date is Sunday, April 22. This year, there will be a community picnic, so stop by for some nourishment and […]

BOT unveils $37M budget

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Getting an earlier start this year than in previous years, the South Orange Board of Trustees introduced the 2018 municipal budget at its March 26 meeting. With a vote of 6-0, the BOT approved the introduction of the budget, which comes in at $37,142,670.57 — $1,236,298.08 more than the 2017 municipal […]