Communities respond to anti-Semitism

Religious and government leaders take a firm stand following hateful graffiti, JCC bomb threat

Communities respond to anti-Semitism

MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE / WEST ORANGE, NJ — Things have certainly been tense in America in the last few months, with organizations like the ACLU showing a marked increase in anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and racist incidents. Unfortunately, Essex County has also experienced some of this hatred. Residents and officials in Essex County were disheartened during […]

Maplewood continues sponsorship of SeniorStudio painting class

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Maplewood Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs will again be sponsoring SeniorStudio, a free, innovative arts program for township residents aged 60 and older. Registration is now open for the spring semester. Since space is limited, interested students are encouraged to register soon, either in-person at DeHart Community Center, 120 […]

Mayor provides update on Avalon Bay reconstruction

Residents concerned over disturbances from construction

Mayor provides update on Avalon Bay reconstruction

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Maplewood is still working to bounce back from the six-alarm fire that tore through the Avalon Apartments construction site on Feb. 4, destroying approximately one-half to two-thirds of the site. The fire, which took approximately four hours and 120 firefighters to extinguish, destroyed the work already done on phases 2 and 3 […]

Community unites to sing of peace, hope

ECS brings community together in musical unity event

Community unites to sing of peace, hope

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Lifting their voices in songs of hope and solidarity, residents of Maplewood and South Orange joined together as part of the “United We Sing” event hosted Saturday, Feb. 18, by the Social Action Committee of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County on Prospect Street in Maplewood. The event featured a community […]

SOMA welcomes refugee family

SOMA welcomes refugee family

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Last fall, three synagogues in South Orange — Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, Beth El Congregation and Congregation Oheb Shalom — set out to help resettle at least one refugee family and give them a new start in South Orange-Maplewood. The first family, refugees from the devastation in Syria, arrived in mid-January. Two […]

Two towns receive nearly $290K of federal grant funds

Two towns receive nearly $290K of federal grant funds

MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH 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 […]

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 […]

Avalon Apts. go up in flames

Feb. 4 fire destroys incomplete sections of construction project on Boyden

Avalon Apts. go up in flames

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Maplewood firefighters rushed to Boyden Avenue in the early morning hours of Saturday, Feb. 4, to battle a six-alarm fire raging at the Avalon Bay construction site. The fire took more than four hours to extinguish. According to the Maplewood Fire Department, at approximately 1:30 a.m. firefighters responded to the area along […]

Two towns unite to remember Dr. King

Community members from Maplewood and South Orange honor King’s legacy at annual CCR event

Two towns unite to remember Dr. King

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange-Maplewood Community Coalition on Race united the two towns to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of love, equality and acceptance Jan. 16, with its 16th annual MLK Observance and Volunteer Fair. The event, previously held at religious institutions, was hosted by Columbia High School for the […]