Top stories from 2024 in East Orange

The following are some of the top stories coming out of East Orange in 2024:

Contract negotiations stall
The East Orange Board of Education and the East Orange Education Association (EOEA), which is the teacher’s union, deadlocked in negotiations over a new contract. After two years of operating under an expired contract, the EOEA and the East Orange Board of Education reached a tentative agreement on the terms of a new contract on Nov. 15.

The deal was voted down, however, when it went before the full union. Under the proposed terms, the Board and the EOEA agreed to a five-year deal that included additional compensation of 15%, with multiple-step movements. In the first year, the parties agreed to a 2% payout to all members by Dec. 31.

In the second year, the parties agreed to a 2.25% payout. For the remainder of the contract, the members were to receive a total increase of 10.5% with five step movements.

Additionally, the district increased the hourly rates for work performed after school and on weekends. Lastly, the district offered an enhanced dental plan and offered to contribute 25% of the cost for that plan. The East Orange Education Association said that “in order to provide the best educational experience possible, you must offer a contract that attracts and retains the best staff possible, as well as treat them with the respect they deserve.”

East Orange remembers iconic actor John Amos

The life and legacy of East Orange native John Amos was celebrated in November at The Cicely L. Tyson School of Performing Arts. Amos, who had died earlier in the year, was best known for his role as the adult Kunta Kinte in the landmark miniseries “Roots” and for portraying James Evans Sr. on the television series “Good Times.”

In addition to playing many roles on television, he also played supporting roles in films such as “Coming to America” and “Die Hard 2.” Amos was born in Newark and grew up in East Orange, graduating from East Orange High School in 1958. The service began with Karen Poole and The Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing & Fine Arts Choir, CORE, and the Elmwood Sanctuary Choir performing “Going Up Yonder.” AJ Calloway, the emcee, offered opening reflections. He referred to Amos as “a man whose impact will be felt for generations to come.”

Grammy Award winners come to East Orange
The Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts hosted a day full of seminars on how to break into show business featuring Grammy Award winning singer and actress CoCo Jones and other music industry professionals who are part of the Recording Academy that administers the awards.

The Grammy In the Schools Program is a regional music career day presented in partnership with the Recording Academy New York Chapter and in this case, the school and the City of East Orange. Thirteen seminars on a variety of topics related to employment in performing arts were held in rooms throughout the school for the 400 or so high school students. The purpose of the program is to provide insight to high school students about careers that are available to them in the music industry, and direction on how to prepare for them.

The program provides an opportunity for students to interact with professionals representing a wide range of careers. Speakers included Grammy winners and nominees, and professionals in related disciplines.

Layoffs are announced throughout school district
Students, parents, teachers and school district employees were reeling after it was announced that more than 70 people would be laid off and the district was forced to have two unexpected half days.

A statement from Mayor Ted R. Green, Superintendent Christopher Irving and Board President Andrea McPhatter said the layoffs were part of a broader plan to stabilize the financial complexities currently facing the East Orange School District. Irving, who took the job over the summer, said the district has a $25 million deficit and would not be able to make payroll in May if it did not take the steps that were taken.

The East Orange teachers union released a statement that said “the loss of newly employed educators, long-time social workers, dedicated Spanish teachers, and building-based substitutes will reverberate throughout our schools for months to come, and the impact on students is yet to be seen.”

East Orange honors Dionne Warwick
East Orange native Dionne Warwick was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a week after she was honored in her hometown with a street renaming in her honor. Warwick, who became a Kennedy Center Honoree and earned the Urban One Honors Lifetime Achievement Award during the past year, was feted at a ceremony outside City Hall on Friday, Oct. 11.|

The ceremony included singing, dancing, speeches and the official unveiling of the sign on North Arlington Avenue at City Hall Plaza. Warwick smiled and sang along during the performances but kept her head down, looking shyly at her feet as speaker after speaker spoke of her talent, achievements and humanitarian efforts.

Basketball court named for Naughty By Nature
Mayor Ted R. Green and the East Orange City Council dedicated the Naughty by Nature Court during a ceremony in September in the newly renovated Oval Park. The court pays homage to native sons, Vincent “Vin Rock” Brown, Anthony “Treach” Criss, and Keir Lamont Gist or Kay Gee, the Grammy-award winning trio that make up Naughty By Nature.

The trio are all natives of East Orange and graduated from high school together. They knew the park well. Vin Rock, Treach and Kay Gee grew up in the Teen Streets area near the park, colloquially known as “Down the Hill.” Oval Park, once home to Negro League Baseball, recently completed Phase I of renovations, which included the rebuilding the courts on which the men once played.

The new bright orange and green-colored court bears the iconic Naughty by Nature logo that was conceptualized from the group’s 30th Anniversary Tribute Album, 19NAUGHTYIII, which was remastered featuring the anthem, “Hip Hop Hooray.”

East Orange supports Haitian immigrants
A press conference was held in September outside City Hall to show support for Haitian immigrants in the wake of unfounded accusations that pets were being abducted and eaten in an Ohio town.

Mayor Ted R. Green, members of the city council, Haitian community leaders from East Orange and neighboring towns all participated in the event, denouncing the remarks against Haitian migrants made by then Ohio Senator and Republican Vice Presidential Candidate JD Vance, and amplified by President-elect Donald Trump during the Presidential Debate on Sept. 10. East Orange, including its neighboring communities of Irvington and Newark, has among the highest percentages of Haitian immigrants and Haitian-Americans in New Jersey.

New superintendent of schools hired
The Board of Education in July hired Christopher C. Irving to be the school district’s new superintendent. Irving had most recently been assistant commissioner of field support and services for the state Department of Education.

Irving replaced AbdulSaleem R. Hasan, who retired in June after five years in the position. The East Orange School District has more than 9,000 students and 900 teachers in 20 schools.

Renovations coming to Brick Church Station
A grant of $83.31 million was awarded to NJ Transit to improve accessibility at Brick Church Station. Improvements at the station will include high-level platforms, raised canopies, new elevators and security cameras.

There will also be improved signage and communication systems, new historic replica lights, repairs to the historic benches and terrazzo floor, an art installation will be installed on windows, and the former baggage room will be converted to leasable commercial office space. Service is not expected to be interrupted and the work should all be done by 2031.

Paul Robeson Stadium upgraded with new track
Paul Robeson Stadium was renovated with the installation of a state-of-the-art regulation track. The track was heavily damaged during Hurricane Ida in September 2021. The football field failed a GMAX test in April 2023, which rendered the field unsafe for athletic purposes.

Isaiah House gets $2 million philanthropic grant
Isaiah House, which operates a homeless shelter on North Munn Avenue in East Orange, announced it was receiving a $2 million grant from philanthropist and billionaire MacKenzie Scott and her organization, Yield Giving. MacKenzie Scott helped her ex husband, Jeff Bezos, found and run Amazon. When they divorced in 2019, she owned a 4 % stake in the company.

Her current net worth is estimated at about $40 billion. She has given a total of $14 billion to more than 1600 charitable organizations since December of 2022.

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