January 2012 Highlights (26)

FOR YEARS I SAW THIS YOUNG MAN WRESTLING FROM REC TO HIGH SCHOOL AND HE JUST KEPT GETTING BETTER ON SATURDAY  HE WAS VOTED THE ESSEX COUNTY…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

According to local officials, Maplewood police have recently upped outreach efforts to increase the number of women and minorities hired as officers in the department.

Steps included advertising in black and Hispanic newspapers, and reaching out to area churches, including two in the mostly black community of Irvington.

Police Chief Robert J. Cimino, appearing Jan. 21 for a budget…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

Kings Supermarket, an anchor store in Maplewood Village, has expressed a willingness to consider moving across the street to the site of the current post office, Mayor Vic De Luca said last week.

At a Jan. 19 community meeting devoted to the…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

New carpeting in Maplewood Memorial Library and crime-fighting equipment are among the $4.5 million in big-ticket items that heads of municipal departments in Maplewood asked for this year.

The projects and their costs were outlined in documents made available at the budget hearing Jan. 21, the first in a series of such township committee meetings.

Officials made it clear Saturday that…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

The words of the familiar civil-rights song “We shall overcome” filled the sanctuary of Prospect Presbyterian Church Monday afternoon, from the voices of people of different races and faiths.

Residents of both towns gathered to…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

The entire athletic field at Maplewood’s DeHart Park has to be torn out and resodded because of a mistake made during the installation, the township said.

Plastic netting is throughout the grass field, said Mayor Vic De Luca, who expressed concern that someone might get injured playing there.

He could not explain the presence of the netting but made clear that the township will not be…

COLUMBIA DID NOT LOSE A MATCH BUT STILL LOST TO MONTCLAIR 36-31 AS MONTCLAIR WON THE MATCH ALL ON FOR FITS BEN HAYS WORKS FOR A FALL AS DID OTHERS NI THIS LOST NEXT STOP GLEN RIDGE…

By Michael D’Onofrio and Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writers

A proposed Chinese-language charter school that would have served South Orange-Maplewood, along with West Orange, was rejected last week by the state’s top education official for a second time.

The office of Acting Commissioner of Education Chris Cerf would not discuss why he turned down the Hua Mei application, one of 17 charter-school applications statewide that Cerf was considering.…

Captain George C. Previll died suddenly Jan. 16, 2012.

    Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral service at The Chapel at St. Stephen's Cemetery, 451 Millburn Ave., Millburn,  on Saturday, January 21st. at 11:00AM. Visitation was held at  The JACOB A. HOLLE FUNERAL HOME, 2122 Millburn Ave., Maplewood on Friday, 3-7PM

    In lieu of flowers, you may send donations to the American Merchant Marine Veterans, American Legion, or USO in his name would be appreciated.…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

Paying off municipal debt will account for a little more than 10 percent of all Maplewood’s government spending in 2012. Officials begin preparing their annual budget Jan. 21.

During the past decade, township officials paid for a new police station, improvements to roads and other capital projects.

In doing so, they more than doubled “net” municipal debt from $18.2 million in 2001 to…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

The streets of Maplewood were safer in 2011.

Police reported a sharp drop in burglaries that contributed to an overall 8.9 percent decrease in major crimes.

Homicides and car thefts also decreased, said police Chief Robert J. Cimino Jan. 11 when releasing crime statistics. Cimino lauded the work of the officers in the department, and cited the benefits of intelligence sharing with other…

By Christina Hernandez, Managing Editor

“For everyone, I ask, who in all ways touch our schools, we need you to see each and every child in South Orange and Maplewood as your own.”

This was just one of several calls to action by Superintendent of…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

South Orange and Maplewood are due to learn today whether Chris Cerf, the acting state commissioner of education, had approved a Chinese language charter school to serve the two towns and West Orange.

Hua Mei elementary school was one of 18 charter-school applications pending before Cerf, who many thought would make the decision public.

Richard Vespucci, a spokesman for the state…

By Christina Hernandez, Managing Editor

Residents had a number of questions for school officials last week about the superintendent’s multi-year deleveling proposal.

The proposal eliminates leveling, or the grouping of students by academic ability based on teacher input, test scores and class grades; implements an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program; creates an advanced English course in eighth grade; and more.

At…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

Maplewood will not seek to make trash collection a municipal service amid promises from the two area haulers to provide a wider array of collection and pricing options to their customers.

The decision means residents will continue to contract out with either Waste Industries or Waste Management. Both firms have indicated they also would offer the “pay as you throw” option that gives a financial incentive…

Jan. 18 was the last day for residents to apply for the backyard-chicken pilot program that the township is testing.

Officials have limited the program to 15 households, with the selection done by lottery. About 15 people attended separate workshops the township held Jan. 7 and 11 to learn about the program.

The program is intended for people to raise chickens for egg production.

Health officer Robert D. Roe said Jan. 17 the lottery would be…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

It’s the place in Maplewood where artists, young and old, have displayed their work for the past 10 years, where a network of artists in the two towns gather.

It’s also down the street from a well-known fast food establishment on…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

An administrator with more than 10 years experience in municipal government was hired Jan. 7 as Maplewood’s director of recreation and cultural affairs.

Keith E. Knudsen decided to leave his job as West Milford Township’s recreation…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

About 100 people, including a former New Jersey governor, rallied Jan. 6 in Maplewood against a proposed Chinese-language charter school seeking to open this year.

At the DeHart Community Center, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian G.…