Maplewood Patch: Latest Articles

Maplewood's Unemployed Get Stress Reduction Tips

2010-03-18T11:52:13-04:00

Author Zohar Adner offered advice to the Maplewood Professionals in Transition group on living through difficult times.

By Lois Cantwell

11:52am

The last week's regular meeting of Professionals in Transition at the main branch of the Maplewood Public Library attracted about two-dozen attendees. The guest speaker was Zohar Adner, author of "The Gift of Stress."

Adner pointed out that stress will be a reaction if you're not mentally prepared. "You'll feel stress when you're caught in traffic," he said, "but there's nothing you can do and getting upset won't help. It's really a perfect opportunity to do anything but stress."

Members of the group shared stories about the stress of unemployment. "At first I was excited about interviewing, but now I'm petrified," said one. "I've been out of work for so long that interviewing is much more important. Even getting a nibble has stress to it. My last interview was a couple of weeks ago. I have to hide my fear from the interviewer."

Several people expressed similar feelings about interviewing in this tough economic climate: "I have to hide what's going on inside," said one. From another—"I didn't know about the job or company, I was going in cold. My heart was racing, I wanted to throw up."

Another group member said, "I've been out a year this month. I've had a lot of interviews and close calls. Now I have a fear of failure. I used to be a normal person who went on an interview and got a job. I'm afraid my family doesn't think I'm pulling my weight. I try to not think about it, but 'am I going to blow this' or 'this looks good on paper but are the people jerks?' keeps running through my mind."

And yet another shared, "I've been unemployed for almost a year. My credit cards are maxed out. I borrowed money from relatives and my previous type of job doesn't exist. I'm staying positive and trying to change my situation by taking classes and attending groups. At this point I ask myself, will I ever get a job? It's very stressful."

Others said that sleeping patterns have been affected. For example, one person noted that he begins to worry a day or two before an interview. "I don't sleep the night before. I'm stressed-out and my mind doesn't turn off. That makes going into the interview a total misery."

Every day occurrences, such as logging on to balky websites that bounce job applications, filling out applications that are a waste of time and never hearing back from prospective employers tend to ratchet up already elevated stress levels.

Adner counseled, "Stress is a response–you can make many different responses to a situation. While it's normal to react with stress in some situations, it's never the best choice. It's good to plan ahead, to prepare for things coming your way, but sometimes there are "one of" situations when you can't. So you need to cut yourself some slack."

He added, "Ninety percent of doctor visits have some stress component. For example, stress reduces a body's efficiency in processing sugar, which may lead to weight gain and phantom pains, insomnia. It's an urgent message that something in your life isn't working. That there's a gap between what you want and what you're getting."

"Sometimes you can 'fix it' and sometimes you can't." Adner advises to ask yourself if it's really necessary for things to be how they "used to be."

He underlines the importance of reducing stress, suggesting bringing your family on board as a stress reduction team, not concentrating on what's bad but on what's good, and changing the questions you ask yourself from "What do I want?" to "What do I really need?"

"The big thing to keep in mind in learning how to cope is self-compassion. This is the worst job market in decades. Everything is harder than before. It can take three to four months on average to find a job, pushing a year is typical. It's hard to internalize that when your expectation is that this should be done by now, this should be easy, I'm qualified, smart, and doing the right things. It's hard to go through 200 rejections, especially when you thought it was going to take 25."

Adner offers Four Stress Diffusers: (1) Take steps to minimize the gap between how things are and how you want them to be. (2) Lessen your attachment to getting what you want. (3) Identify ways you've overcome similarly stressful situations. (4) Improve your mood.

NOTE: Starting in April, Professionals in Transition will be meeting the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month.

Maplewood Fiddler Paul Mooney Celebrates St. Pat's

2010-03-18T09:04:51-04:00

CHS freshman fiddles medley of Haste to the Wedding and Irish Washerwoman at Just Jakes in Montclair.

By Barbara Goldberg

9:04am

Paul Mooney, 14, of Maplewood brought the house to its dancing feet on St. Patrick's Day, playing under the tutelage of his fiddle teacher, Dave Rimelis of West Orange (on banjo), and with David Langworth (percussion) of Millburn, Ted Brancato (keyboard) of Springfield and Van Manakas (guitar) of Montclair.

When Will That Reval Inspector Be Knocking on Your Door?

2010-03-18T00:21:06-04:00

The reval contractor has a map on their site of areas currently being inspected.

By Mary Mann

12:00am

It's like tracking Santa on NORAD but it doesn't quite bring the same feelings of anticipation and delight.

The company hired by the Township of Maplewood to perform the year-long property revaluation—Appraisal Systems, Inc.—is providing a pdf map on their website showing the current locations of revaluation inspectors. The site also has a chart with names and pictures of each inspector and the list of streets each is serving.

Currently, the four inspectors are in the Hilton area—that is, south of Springfield Avenue. The website explains that the inspectors are starting at the Newark/Irvington borders and are working westerward through town. The map shows them starting at the Irvington and Union boundaries. The inspections started on March 8. The start of inspections was stalled by the snowstorms this winter.

Letters introducing the revaluation program, approved by the municipality, have been sent to all residential property owners. Landlords are required to notify their tenants. A reminder postcard will be sent to residents as the inspectors move to new parts of town, as explained in the attached Q&A Part 1 video.

Upon the first visit, the inspector will measure the outside of the house. Then, an interior inspection must be performed; however, Appraisal Systems doesn't expect residents to be at home without notice. If the homeowner or renter isn't there, the inspector will leave a card with an appointment time for a return visit. Residents can call the number on the card to reschedule if need be.

Each inspector will have an ID with a color photograph around their neck, and they are all–along with their vehicle–on record with the Maplewood Police. If you are unsure of someone, make them wait outside while you call the police at 973-762-3402.

The inspections are the first part of a seven-part revaluation process. To review that process, see our earlier article or watch the attached video.

The Township of Maplewood is also sponsoring another community presentation on the revaluation on Tuesday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m. at Maplewood Town Hall. The presentation will be broadcast over SOMA TV, Channel 35 on Comcast and 24 on FIOS.

Finally, residents can call Appraisal Systems with any questions about the revaluation at 201-493-8530.

State Reduces School District's Aid by 80.9 Percent

2010-03-17T20:11:58-04:00

It's a draconian cut well beyond what the South Orange Maplewood School District leadership predicted, and other districts are stunned and suffering as well.

By Mary Mann

March 17, 2010

The South Orange Maplewood School District will receive 80.9% less in state aid for the 2010-11 school year than it did for the 2009-10 year.

That equals a cut of $5,297,580, from $6,546,360 in 2009-10 to $1,248,780 in 2010-11.

Across the state, the news was hitting hard. Fifty-nine school districts lost 100% of state aid, including Madison, Millburn, Summit, Livingston, Caldwell-West Caldwell, North Caldwell and Ridgewood. Basking Ridge lost 82% of state aid. Cranford lost 90% to the tune of $4.22 million. West Essex lost 89.4%.

The South Orange Maplewood School District will need to reevaluate its proposed budget since it had been based on an assumption of a 15% cut in state aid not an 80.9% cut. Already Superintendent of Schools Brian Osborne has cut $1.5 million from non-personnel costs and proposed eliminating 29 positions (while hiring 6 new teachers) to close the current budget gap caused largely by increases in insurance and health care costs.

Osborne released this statement this evening: "This is an unprecedented blow to the district and to public education statewide. Yet we are a resilient community with strong schools, a caring staff, great kids. We will all need to sacrifice and come together to put our children first." The Board of Education next meets on March 22, with a budget workshop planned for March 24.

The Department of Education released the numbers at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. New Jersey Education Commissioner Brett Schundler held a press conference with reporters following the announcement saying, "[School districts] are going to face extremely difficult times financially."

Commissioner Schundler also said while current law allows for districts to propose waivers over the current four percent property tax increase cap, he will be working with county superintendents to urge districts not to exceed the current cap. Governor Christie also proposed a constitutional amendment for this fall to reduce the four percent tax cap to 2.5 percent with no waivers, although that would not affect the 2010-11 school budget process.

Osborne has been asked by Board of School Estimate members from Maplewood (Kathy Leventhal) and South Orange (Michael Goldberg) not to exceed a 3% increase in the school levy.

To perhaps soften the blow, Schundler emphasized the potential savings to school districts if Gov. Christie's benefits reform plans are passed soon. The reforms would allow school districts to save money by requiring teachers to contribute at least 1.5 percent of their salaries towards healthcare as well putting a cap on the amount of sick pay retired public employees can redeem. If passed within the next few weeks, the schools could theoretically factor in the additional savings toward the upcoming school budget, though the overall effect remains to be seen.

In a letter accompanying the numbers, Schundler said that the Department of Education "reduced staffing for the third year in a row and eliminated funding for many valuable, but ultimately non-core programs – all so we could maximize the dollars available for school district aid."

Schundler wrote that the following formula was used to arrive at state aid amounts for districts: "[A]id increases were capped at 0% for all districts and education adequacy aid was held at fiscal 2010 levels. Given the absence of federal stimulus funding, and the consequent reduction in the total of funds available for distribution, each district's aid amount under the above calculation was then reduced by an amount equal to 4.994% of the district's original fiscal 2010 general fund budget."

Finally, the letter stated that the governor "is working to balance the State's budget because it is his constitutional obligation. But beyond fulfilling that duty, the Governor is striving via his proposed reforms to dramatically improve public education in our state."

Proposed Rezoning Released by School District

2010-03-17T23:04:49-04:00

Sections of Plymouth Avenue, Oakland Road, Burnett Terrace will move to Clinton School.

By Mary Mann

March 17, 2010

This letter is being distributed by the South Orange Maplewood School District via email and is being mailed overnight. The following streets currently zoned for Tuscan Elementary School are proposed to be rezoned for Clinton Elementary School: Plymouth Avenue (23-116), Burnett Terrace (61-67) and Oakland Road (145-215).

From Brian Osborne, Superintendent of Schools:

Elementary projections for Tuscan Elementary School exceed the available space in the building. It is expected that Tuscan School will be short one room in 2010-11, two rooms in 2011-12, three rooms in 2012-13, and two rooms in 2013-14. While the district planned for increased enrollment by creating additional classroom space this past summer, the six percent increase in enrollment resulted in the district taking some unusual measures to compensate for a lack of space at Tuscan. Some late registering kindergarten students from the Tuscan zone were sent to other district schools and class size in second grade was increased with an additional teacher to support those classes.

A detailed analysis was completed to determine a proposal for addressing the increased elementary enrollment figures. District administration evaluated a number of options ranging from creating additional space in the district, creating magnet programs at some of the elementary schools, moving the fifth grade to the middle school, as well as other options. The following principles guided the creation of a proposal for consideration by the Board of Education:

Respect target capacity for all elementary schools
Create boundaries that are sustainable in the future
Impact as few families as possible
Use natural boundaries (avoid dividing streets, look at major roads as natural dividing lines)
Keep rising fifth graders in current school (consideration extended to siblings)
Maintain demographic balance
Minimize cost impact

A presentation of the proposed plan is scheduled at the March 22 Board of Education meeting. The plan being presented would rezone the following streets to Clinton Elementary School: Plymouth Avenue (23-116), Burnett Terrace (61-67) and Oakland Road (145-215). Students residing on these streets are in closer proximity to Clinton Elementary School than they are to Tuscan
Elementary School.

Current fourth grade students from the affected streets would remain at Tuscan for fifth grade, along with their siblings already attending Tuscan. Students who are currently attending Tuscan on a transfer basis must reapply for consideration for the 2010-11 school year. Students residing on the affected streets would have the option of attending either Maplewood Middle School or South Orange Middle School.

A community forum is scheduled on this topic for Monday, April 12, at 7:00 pm in the Board of Education District Meeting Room.

Any questions regarding this topic can be e-mailed to enrollment@somsd.k12.nj.us.

In South Orange, the following streets are being rezoned to the Marshall/Jefferson pairing: South Wyoming Avenue (146‐216), Collinwood Road, Collinwood Road South, Crestwood Drive (1‐21), Sunset Terrace, Colonial Terrace, New England Road, Evergreen Place, Audley Street, and Washington Park. Students would receive transportation to Marshall School for grades K‐2. These students would continue to attend South Orange Middle School.

Top of the Morning to Maplewood!

2010-03-17T14:54:24-04:00

Clinton School Bagpiper starts St. Patrick's Day celebration in Maplewood.

By Barry Kaufman

March 17, 2010

A tradition started by Clinton Principal Patty O'Neill

MapleGOOD: Children's International Summer Villages

2010-03-17T14:49:29-04:00

Children are key to a global program aimed at world peace and run by local mom and other volunteers.

By Barbara Goldberg

March 17, 2010

What if back in the 1950s little Georgie Bush and other 11-year-olds destined to become future world leaders all spent a month bunking together, playing games and becoming friends. Would today's world be a different, more peaceful place?

World peace is the ultimate goal of Children's International Summer Villages, known as CISV, an international organization with 22 chapters in the United States. The local New York chapter includes families from New Jersey, New York and Connecticut and is run by volunteers such as Patty Orsini, an editor and writer who lives in Maplewood. CISV was founded in 1951 by a child psychologist who believed that the way to achieve world peace is through children, and the best route is friendship rather than learning about an abstract place on a map.

A centerpiece of the program is the Village, a month-long camp for about 50 kids, all age 11, from a dozen different nations. This year, the New York chapter will be sending kids to Villages in Lisbon, Portugal, and Seoul, South Korea; these are just two of more than 50 Villages that will be held throughout the world this summer.

"The program starts at age 11 because it is a time when kids are still very open to others, they have very few prejudices," said Orsini.

Maplewood children in CISV include Nancy Ferranti, who attended a Village in Londrina, Brazil, and remembers playing team-building games like confidently falling into the arms of fellow children, none of whom spoke a common language. "It was really fun and I got to learn so much about other cultures. It made me realize that we could be friends even if we came from totally different places," said Ferranti, now a freshman at Columbia High School.

Last summer, the local chapter hosted a Village in Westchester. Four 11-year-olds from Costa Rica who were attending the camp spent some time at Orsini's home in Maplewood. Said Orsini, "We took them into New York for a day, and went to the Fourth of July fireworks. When I asked them what they would tell their friends in Costa Rica they liked most about Maplewood, they said the gum wall. (Located under the railroad tracks near Maplewood Middle School, it's where students stick their chewed gum). It made me realize, kids are kids the world over."

Other CISV programs target older children and some are geared toward exploring the diversity within a country's own local chapters. Maplewoodians can get involved in many ways, including offering lodging to visiting children who have traveled here to attend a CISV program.

Orsini said the aim of CISV is to prepare individuals to become active and contributing members of a peaceful global society. The program is designed to stimulate cooperation and leadership, essential skills for building a better, more harmonious world.

God Bless America, Bagpipe Version

2010-03-17T09:25:34-04:00

Putting a little green in the red, white and blue

By Mary Mann

March 17, 2010

Bagpipe music greeted parents and students this morning at Clinton Elementary School. The bagpiper played for the children then led them inside. It's a Clinton School tradition begun by Principal Patricia O'Neill and supported by the Clinton PTA.

Clinton School Brings on the Bagpipes

2010-03-17T12:04:40-04:00

Maplewood's St. Patrick's Day celebrations got started with some bagpipe music at 7:45 a.m.

By Mary Mann

March 17, 2010

It was truly a "top o' the mornin' to you" moment at Clinton Elementary School, as a bagpiper greeted parents and children before school and launched Maplewood's St. Patrick's Day celebrations in festive fashion.

The idea of the St. Patrick's Day morning bagpiper was introduced a few years back by principal Patricia O'Neill—she's just a little bit Irish. Now, the Clinton PTA picks up the tab through its cultural affairs budget, according to Cecelia Cancellaro.

Clearly, this new Clinton School tradition is quite popular. Children were actually observed hopping, skipping and dragging their parents along as they rushed to get to school once they heard the bagpipe music in the distance. And, yes, you can hear the bagpipe music in the distance!

O'Neill, by the way, is one of nine children. She is a life-long Maplewoodian and one of her sisters teaches at Tuscan School.

Township Committee Meeting: Guns & Roses

2010-03-17T00:30:01-04:00

Major discussions centered on the discharge of firearms in the Township and denying the Community Garden use of the lot behind Town Hall.

By Mary Mann

March 17, 2010

The Maplewood Community Garden may break ground this spring. It just won't be in the lot behind Town Hall.

After several neighbors came forward to oppose the choice of location for the Community Garden—which has parcelled out about two dozen lots to members of the community to hoe and sow organically this spring—Town Engineer Bob Bratt took another look at the area and decided that it would be best to improve drainage before moving forward with any building or planting project.

Township Administrator Joseph Manning took responsibility for the late change in plans and apologized to the Township Committee and to those planning and participating in the Community Garden. Township Committee members voiced their support for the Garden but voted unanimously to reject the Town Hall location.

Their support and Manning's apology offered little salve for Irene Dunsavage who has spearheaded the project. After the meeting, Dunsavage offered this statement: "We are extremely disappointed that the Township Committee has decided to reverse their previous approval to use the Town Hall land for a community garden. We as a group have been working since January creating a format for a garden, drawing on the expertise of all of our members. We took a very democratic approach to the garden and seriously were committed to being a community. We sincerely hope that the Township will live up to its promise to find an alternate site for the MCG in a timely fashion. We are ready to plant with the end of the first frost—ready for our seeds to take root and grow."

During the meeting Maplewood Community Garden member Matthew Schwartz noted that 25 members had already signed up for the garden and $4,000 had been raised, volunteers had been enlisted and gardening classes organized.

The MCG's building day for constructing the raised beds for the lots was to take place in 11 days—on Saturday, March 27.

Schwartz said that the land in question sloped away from the neighboring property and emptied run-off into a nearby drain. He said that the area did not flood during the recent "torrential rain."

Park Avenue resident Vicki Arlein differed, saying half the area is "soggy" and that one of her neighbors needed to continuously rake and clear the drains during the rain storm. "It actually acts as a flood plane for the neighbors' property and the Township's property," said Arlein. She worried that the Community Garden would exacerbate the drainage problem.

Another discussion of note at the meeting was the discharge of firearms in the Township. As previously reported on Patch, a resident had made an inquiry with the Police Department about the legality of firing a gun into a bullet trap in one's home. The MPD—and then the Township Attorney Roger Desiderio—had found that no Federal, state or local law or ordinance disallowed this activity.

Desiderio researched and found two municipalities—one in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey—that offered sample ordinances that Maplewood could model a local law upon, if desirable.

Ultimately, all of the Township Committee members agreed that an ordinance was called for. However, they disagreed on whether or not an indoor firing range should be disallowed.

"It's astounding to me," said Deputy Mayor Fred Profeta, "that there is nothing on the books. You could go out on New Year's Eve and fire your rifle or gun. . . . "

Profeta wanted an ordinance crafted but one that exempted those with gun licenses, firing ranges and hunting. Profeta felt that merchants with legitimate licenses should be able to have a firing range if regulated properly.

Jerry Ryan disagreed, "If we are going to allow firing ranges, we need to define and regulate them, create inspections. We need a strong definition of what is safe." He added, "I"m inclined not to allow it at all."

Kathy Leventhal and Lester Lewis-Powder agreed. "I would not allow a firing range within somone's home," said Leventhal simply. Like Ryan, Lewis-Powder noted that allowing in-home firing ranges would necessitate "incredible regulation" and a "considerable amount of design and modifications."

DeLuca said he was inclined to allow a properly regulated in-home firing range—he noted jokingly that the fee could be quite large—and he cited the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms. But DeLuca ultimately acquiesced to the majority of the Committee and asked Township Attorney Desiderio to draw up an draft ordinance for discussion at the next Township Committee meeting.

Other items on the Township Committee agenda included new parking for teachers and workers at Jefferson School, and approval of the 2010 budgets for the Springfield Avenue Partnership and Maplewood Village Alliance. Stories to come.