Township Committee introduces Toomey’s redevelopment plan

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — On Feb. 5, the Maplewood Township Committee unanimously voted to introduce an ordinance to adopt the redevelopment plan for 104 Baker St., the former site of Toomey’s Automotive. The redevelopment plan, created by planner Paul Grygiel of Phillips Preiss Grygiel Planning and Real Estate Consultants LLC, has gone through several revisions following […]

Township unveils plans to purchase Rock Spring

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Mayor Robert Parisi announced at the Feb. 5 Township Council meeting that the administration will present the council with a contract to purchase the Rock Spring Country Club, which the Montclair Golf Club announced it would sell approximately two months ago. The property, bought by the Montclair Golf Club in 2016, […]

New theater company creates opportunities on and off stage

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A new theater company will make its debut in Maplewood when “The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin” premieres at the Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 16 and 17, produced by Progressive Theater. Founded by Gregory Osborne, the company aims to put on shows targeted at minorities while […]

Towns mourn loss of influential activist

MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Maplewood and South Orange communities mourned the recent loss of Barbra “Babs” Casbar Siperstein, the Edison woman who crusaded for LGBT rights in New Jersey and nationally. Siperstein died of cancer at age 76 on Feb. 3, just two days after the “Babs Siperstein Law” went into effect; […]

Operation Gaslight finds approximately 100 outages

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — On Feb. 7, South Orange residents teamed up with Seton Hall University students, who were mobilized by the Interfraternity Council, to located and document gaslight outages in the village as part of Operation Gaslight. With residents driving the students around the village, the teams documented approximately 100 gaslight outages. Photo Courtesy […]

New county surrogate discusses his job, values and vision

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Alturrick Kenney is 37 days into a five-year term as the Essex County surrogate, and has hit the ground running at the Essex County Hall of Records. Winning the elected position with 80 percent of the vote in November, Kenney heads the county court division that probates wills, adoption papers, trust […]